The Rudest Things You Can Do While Deplaning

Posted on 22/11/2025 by Boris Clair

Air travel does not typically bring out the best in people. The stress of tight connections, long lines, cramped cabins and general transit fatigue can push even the calmest travelers to their limits.

But that doesn’t mean you have to add to the unpleasantness. Indeed, there are many things passengers do that make the flight experience worse for their fellow travellers – from the airport to boarding and even deplaning.

On the latter front, the lack of courtesy has gotten particularly dire.

“It’s like a cattle call to both get on the plane and then get off,” said August Abbott, an etiquette expert with JustAnswer. “It’s embarrassing to the whole human race to see otherwise caring, helpful and patient people lose all sense of their humanity and seemingly revert to instinctive behaviour and act like animals fighting for survival.”

To help improve the situation, HuffPost asked etiquette experts to share some common rude behaviours during the deplaning process. Read on for eight faux pas and what you should do instead.

Not waiting your turn

“It’s important to be courteous to fellow passengers, and waiting for your row to deplane is the most obvious and courteous behaviour,” said Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert, author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life and founder of The Protocol School of Texas.

There’s a term for people who immediately stand and rush up the aisle the moment the plane arrives at the gate: aisle lice. You don’t want to be part of this group.

In instances of major delays, the flight crew often asks passengers who aren’t making tight connections to stay seated and allow those in a rush to deplane first. So if you’ve arrived at your final destination, show courtesy by respecting that request.

Otherwise, Gottsman advised not assuming you’re the only one with a connection.

“If you are running late for another flight, so are the people in front of you and behind you,” she said. “If you need assistance, you can ask a flight attendant.”

Ignoring flight crew requests around tight connections

As noted, in the event of a long delay, flight attendants may ask those who are arriving at their final destination or have ample time to make their next flight to stay seated and allow those with shorter windows the chance to deplane first.

“If a nearby passenger has a very tight connection, it is kind to allow them to exit as quickly as possible,” said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting.

Those who’ve been in this situation know that passengers don’t always heed the request, however, which is a very inconsiderate behaviour.

Being unprepared and holding everyone up

“Let’s face it. Even on short commuter flights, everyone wants to be off the plane,” Smith said. “Gather your belongings so you are ready when it is your turn to deplane.”

She pointed to “clogging the aisle” as a deplaning faux pas many passengers commit. “It is their turn to exit and they just start looking about for their belongings.”

Travelers who aren’t prepared to deplane when it’s their turn should allow others to pass them, Smith added.

“Be ready when it’s time for your row,” echoed Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and cohost of the “Were You Raised by Wolves?” podcast. “It’s no secret when you’re next. Be prepared!”

Smith recommended taking a moment after landing to look around your seat.

“Check for anything that may have come out of your carry-on,” Smith advised. “Do you have your phone, snack containers, water bottle, book, etc.?”

Shoving into the crowded aisle

Smith noted that “trying to push into an already crowded aisle” is another rude deplaning behaviour.

“You should allow the row ahead of you to clear before you deplane,” she said. “It certainly is fine to stand in the aisle if there is space, but shoving is not going to speed your departure.”

If standing at your seat is uncomfortable, you can always sit back down and have your under-seat belongings ready to go on your lap. There’s no need to push anyone out of the way.

“Is shoving your way to the front so you can save 10 seconds really worth it? Probably not!” Leighton noted.

Taking bags down from the overhead bin with nowhere to put them

Just as you shouldn’t shove your body into the aisle when it’s already full of people, you should refrain from adding luggage into the mix if there’s nowhere to put it.

As Smith noted, another rude behaviour is “insisting on taking down items from the overhead bin when there is no physical space to put them yet.”

Of course, everyone needs to retrieve their luggage eventually ― just wait until there’s actually room to safely manoeuvre. Timing is everything.

Whacking people with your things

“Be aware when you do remove bags from the overhead bins,” Smith said. “It is never polite to hit another passenger in the head with your luggage.”

Spatial awareness is hugely important when it comes to courtesy and consideration toward others.

“Try to be conscious of your space,” Smith advised. “Whipping your backpack or bag onto your back while standing in a crowded aisle is bound to create issues.”

Leaving a mess behind

Don’t treat the plane like your personal bin. If you missed the trash collection before landing, don’t leave it to the crew to clean up the mess.

“Nowadays, it is polite to assist the crew in turning over your plane,” Smith said. “Armrests up, shades down – especially in warm climates – and seat belt crossed. Any of your remaining trash, wrappers, empty drinks and certainly used tissues, should be carried with you into the terminal for proper disposal.”

Complaining without helping

“One of the most rude and offensive behaviours is complaining about someone struggling to collect their carry-ons – instead of just helping them,” Abbott said. “Is it that much easier to rant and rage than to be kind and caring?”

Before complaining, travellers who are able to assist their fellow passenger with a tricky overhead bag manoeuvre should offer to help, or try to find someone else who can.

“Shame on those growing impatient with the speed that those ahead of you are setting due to struggles no one is helping them with,” Abbott said.

Why You Sometimes Feel Sad After Sex, Even When It’s Good Sex

Posted on 22/11/2025 by Boris Clair

When he was in his early 20s, Los Angeles-based writer Brandon G. Alexander often felt an inexplicable sadness after sex, even when it was “good” sex with people he liked.

“The best way to describe the feeling is empty or sometimes shame, depending on my relationship and intention with the person,” the 30-year-old founder of the men’s lifestyle site New Age Gents told HuffPost.

“Our culture teaches men how to be physically connected to someone, but we ignore the truth that sex is highly emotional and spiritual. The idea that a man wouldn’t feel something before, during or after sex is unrealistic, but most have become so conditioned to think otherwise.”

What Alexander experienced years ago is what researchers call “post-coital dysphoria.” PCD, as they refer to it, is a condition marked by feelings of agitation, melancholy, anxiety or sadness after intercourse, even when it’s good, consensual sex. The condition can last between five minutes and two hours.

It’s also called “post-coital tristesse,” which literally means “sadness” in French. In the 17th century, philosopher Baruch Spinoza summed it up this way: Once the “enjoyment of sensual pleasure is past, the greatest sadness follows.”

Many studies have examined the first three phases of the human sexual response cycle (excitement, plateau, orgasm), but the resolution phase has often been overlooked.

That’s starting to change, though. In a 2015 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, almost half of the women surveyed reported experiencing PCD at some point in their lives, and around 5 percent said they’d felt it regularly within the past month.

A new study from the same researchers published in June suggests that PCD is almost just as prevalent in men: In an online survey of 1,208 male participants, around 40 percent of men said they’d experienced PCD in their lifetime, and 4 percent said it was a regular occurrence.

In excerpts from the survey, men admit to feeling a “strong sense of self-loathing” about themselves post-sex and “a lot of shame.” Others say they’d experienced “crying fits and full on depressive episodes” after sex that sometimes left their significant others worried.

“Men who may suffer from PCD think that they are the only person in the world with this experience, but they should recognize that there’s a diversity of experiences in the resolution phase of sex.”

– Robert Schweitzer, a psychology professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

Despite the number of men who reported experiencing PCD, it’s challenging for researchers to study it because most men are reluctant to talk about it, said Robert Schweitzer, the lead author on both studies and a psychology professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

“Men who may suffer from PCD think that they are the only person in the world with this experience, but they should recognise that there’s a diversity of experiences in the resolution phase of sex,” he told HuffPost.

“As with many diagnoses, it provides some relief to be able to name the phenomenon.” (Schweitzer is still collecting accounts of people with PCD for his ongoing research.)

As to why it’s so common in both men and women, a study of twins suggested that genetics may play some sort of role. PCD is also often linked with sexual abuse, trauma and sexual dysfunction, but that’s certainly not always the case; in this latest study, the majority of the men who reported PCD hadn’t experienced those issues and were in otherwise healthy, satisfying relationships.

More often than not, Schweitzer thinks PCD is a culmination of both physical and psychological factors. Physically, orgasms activate a flood of endorphins and other feel-good hormones, but the neurochemical prolactin follows, resulting in a sometimes intense comedown. Psychologically, the paper establishes a correlation between the frequency of PCD and “high psychological distress” in other aspects of a person’s life.

Sometimes, the psychological factors are compounded by the knowledge that no emotional connection exists with a sexual partner, said Kimberly Resnick Anderson, a Los Angeles-based sex therapist unaffiliated with the study.

“Some of my clients, especially males with sex addictions, report post-coital dysphoria because deep down, they know there is no bond between them and the person they are sleeping with,” she told HuffPost.

Other times, patients worry that their partners just weren’t that into the sex.

“If you believe your partner was just ‘taking one for the team’ and not genuinely interested in sex, it can lead to a sense of shame and guilt,” Resnick Anderson added.

What’s important to remember, she said, is that sex can mean different things at different stages of your life. And as these recent studies show, nuanced, complicated post-coital feelings are completely natural.

“We need to have more conversations about men and intimacy. The more we tell guys it’s OK to feel ― or protect your heart by waiting to sleep with someone sometimes ― the more we’ll change the old ideas around men and sex.”

– Brandon G. Alexander, lifestyle writer

There may be ways to curtail the negative feelings, too: For starters, stick around rather than high-tailing it out the door after a hookup session – or if you’re in a relationship, cuddle instead of heading to the living room to watch Netflix.

A 2012 study on the resolution phase of sex showed that couples who engage in pillow talk, kissing and cuddling after intercourse report greater sexual and relationship satisfaction.

And be honest about your emotions after sex, without assigning blame to yourself or your partner. As the growing research shows, men and women feel a full spectrum of emotions after sex, and that’s perfectly normal.

That’s something that Alexander, the writer who experienced PCD often in his 20s, had to learn on his own as he approached his 30s.

“As a guy, you shouldn’t numb out or try to deal with PCD in silence,” he said. “We need to have more conversations about men and intimacy. The more we tell guys it’s OK to feel – or protect your heart by waiting to sleep with someone sometimes – the more we’ll change the old ideas around men and sex.”

9 Cheap Ingredients Home Cooks Say Instantly Makes Food Better

Posted on 22/11/2025 by Boris Clair

Maybe you add a touch of baking powder to your tomato sauce to counterbalance the acidity, or perhaps you whack some cream in your bolognese (a la Mary Berry) for a smooth, velvety finish.

You might dust roast spuds and parsnips in semolina for a satisfying crunch, too.

But even though I write a lot about sneaky secret ingredients, I’m always on the lookout for more – especially if they don’t cost much. That’s why I was so excited to read the responses to an r/cookingforbeginners post shared by u/BlastarBanshee.

“What’s the one cheap ingredient that instantly makes everything taste better?” they asked.

Here are some of the best responses:

1) “Celery salt.”

Credit: u/ShopEmpress

“This is… under-appreciated,” u/Barneyboydog agreed.

“It’s a game-changer on fried eggs.”

2) “MSG.”

Credit: u/glumpoodle

“I just ordered a thing of MSG… and holy shit. It’s actually got less sodium by volume than any salt I own, and the flavour is just mind-blowing,” u/alek_hiddel replied.

3) “A couple of tablespoons of lemon juice, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar in a stew.”

Credit: u/Cold-Call-8374

“Yep… a splash (or two) of sherry vinegar at the end of a stew takes it to another level. I learned this trick a few years ago, and now I always have sherry vinegar on hand,” replied u/Dense_Willow4627.

4) “Smoked paprika.”

″[It offers] the simple ability to add the flavour of open fire cooking back into the food we eat.”

Credit: u/STS986

“Every time I taste something new and go, ‘oh that’s good!’, I look up [its] ingredients and it’s almost always [got] paprika,” u/Rogerbva090566 responded.

5) “As a Balkan [person], only Vegeta is allowed as an answer.”

Credit: u/niki2907

“As a non-Balkan… this stuff is the shit,” said u/MuddyHandprints.

6) “A little yeast extract like Marmite is an awesome flavour boost for braised meat dishes, especially beef.”

Credit: u/bullsbarry

7) “Salted butter in chocolate chip cookies.”

Credit: u/Cold-Call-8374

8) “If I’m making something that’s tomato-based, I’ll almost always add a good squirt of ketchup at the end.”

Credit: u/Untouchable-Ninja

9) ” An anchovy… or some dried mushrooms.”

“Basically, you know, MSG in a more natural state.”

Credit: u/BikeTough6760

Love It Or Hate It, Christmas Jumper Day Is Nearly Here

Posted on 20/11/2025 by Boris Clair

As another Christmas Jumper Day rolls around, people can often be found scouring their wardrobe and the shops for something fun to wear.

Love it or hate it, people embrace the yearly tradition and many welcome the chance to dress up in a goofy festive jumper.

Here’s everything you need to know about the day.

The rise in popularity of Christmas jumpers

Christmas jumpers first became popular in the 1980s in the USA, but their origins can be traced back to 19th century Scandinavia.

Scandinavian fisherman would often wear thick, patterned, fair isle jumpers. These slowly but surely began to be associated with Christmas and the festive period.

In the UK, however, many people’s first brush with a Christmas jumper was the first Bridget Jones movie, where heartthrob Mark Darcy can be seen wearing a high-necked jumper with a Reindeer on it.

Since then, the aim of the day has been to wear as ‘ugly’ a jumper as possible, to poke a bit of fun at the whole thing.

What is Christmas Jumper day?

Christmas Jumper day is a day where people are encouraged to wear a festive jumper. The trend has been around for a very long time.

In America, people would often attend ‘ugly-Christmas sweater’ parties with their friends.

This trend caught on and spread across the globe. Now people everywhere take part in this tradition.

When did Christmas Jumper Day start?

Christmas Jumper Day as we know it started in 2012 when Save The Children wanted to create a charitable drive around the holidays.

The aim was to dress up in a Christmas sweater of your choice, funny or cute, and raise money for charity. Save The Children suggested a £2 minimum donation per person to raise money for school children.

This made the day even more popular because people wanted to do their bit to help those less fortunate. It’s become a great thing that people do!

When is Christmas Jumper Day 2025?

Christmas Jumper Day 2025 falls on December 11. You can sign up to the day through Save The Children’s website to officially raise money for the cause.

It’s perfect for getting into the festive spirit. It’s a great way to have some fun, but also do some good by raising money for a worthwhile cause.

Where to buy Christmas jumpers?

In recent years, there has been a focus on sustainability for Christmas Jumper Day. People have been encouraged to wear ones that they already own, or shop in a charity shop.

Sometimes that is not possible so most high-street retailers and online stores will have options for you to buy.

5 Fast, Cheap, Healthy(ish) Dinners I Can Actually Be Bothered To Cook On Weeknights

Posted on 19/11/2025 by Boris Clair

I know it happens every year, but the ridiculously early sunsets the UK faces each winter never fail to take me by surprise (what do you mean it’s dark at six minutes past four today?!).

That, I’m afraid, has spelt disaster for my dinners. I am frankly not bothered to cook during exhausting, gloomy evenings – even my usual old rotation has failed me.

There are, though, some exceptions. They all take 30 minutes or less, involve no fussy extra steps, and taste good enough to see me through my post-work exhaustion.

So, in case you’re looking for something similar, here they are:

Cook time: about 25 minutes (with pre-cooked lentils)

I know, I know: I don’t want to eat anything called “salad” from August onwards either. But to be honest, this warm version (which, by the way, keeps beautifully in the fridge) barely counts: it’s more of a hearty, seasonal grain bowl.

It’s also perfect for emptying your cupboards, because it’s really adaptable. Replace, or mix, lentils with other pulses and legumes like butter beans, chickpeas, or even nutty bulgur wheat.

And provided you use canned lentils instead of cooking your own (I always do this – I simply warm them in a pan for a couple of minutes before serving), it takes well under 30 minutes.

Cook time: 15 minutes, if that

When this five-starred recipe calls itself “super fast,” it means it – I had to double-check the instructions the first time I made it to ensure I hadn’t missed a step, because it came together so quickly.

The light but satisfying flavour is especially soothing after a long day of work, too. One word of caution, though: if, like me, you slurp soup at a rate of knots, slice the bok choi across so you don’t almost choke on a large piece (this has happened to me more than twice, which, though embarrassing, at least proves the soup is good).

For a slightly more wallet-friendly version, the BBC’s similarly speedy chicken noodle soup recipe is perfect, too.

Cook time: about 20 minutes

Another five-starred recipe, this one-pot wonder comes together in about half an hour.

Its ridiculously comforting flavour is perfect for cosy nights in, and I find it unbelievably satisfying – and the zing of mustard in its sauce means you won’t feel completely overwhelmed by its creaminess.

I am sure the recommended rocket included in the original recipe would add to that brightness, too, but to be honest, I’ve only ever had baby spinach to hand – thankfully, it still tastes delicious.

Cook time: 15 minutes, with pasta

Our young adult selves were onto something with the whole “pesto pasta dinner” thing. But if you fancy something a little more grown up – and about five times as delicious – I recommend whipping up your own pesto while your pasta is bubbling away.

I first made this pistachio version after trying the NYT’s full ravioli recipe. But, while I loved the sauce, I knew there was no way I’d actually whip out my pasta machine of a Thursday night, so I’ve simply kept the pesto and swapped the hard part for pre-made spaghetti.

Pesto is surprisingly forgiving: I didn’t have pine nuts the first time I made this, and it was still delicious.

I will say, too, that though it sounds more involved, a pestle and mortar is actually faster and better than a blender: see my (awful) blended results below (left), compared to the two-minute, creamier version (below right).

Cook time: about 15 minutes

Oh, how I love a healthy-ish dinner whose instructions basically read “cook onions, pour in cans, eat”.

This one is filled with fibre-rich butter beans, a surprising amount of veg (and fruit, I suppose, if we count tomatoes), and loads of flavour.

It’s a one-pot wonder, too, which I’ll always take if at all possible (less washing up!), and it’s ridiculously hearty when paired with buttered crusty bread.

Ask A GP: Is ‘Nordic Walking’ Better Than 10,000 Steps?

Posted on 17/11/2025 by Boris Clair

Amidst what can sometimes feel like a barrage of exercise advice, the NHS says that the benefits of a simple walk often go “overlooked”.

The movement, after all, is linked to better heart, brain, and mental health.

And, some posit, “Nordic walking” may be even better for you than the “regular” kind.

It’s been associated with higher calorie expenditure and less joint pain than going for a normal stroll, while some research suggests it may even ease chronic fatigue.

Here, we spoke to Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and medical adviser for Prescription Doctor, about why “Nordic walking” seems to be so good for us – and how it stacks up against the oft-repeated 10,000 steps rule.

What is “Nordic walking” and is it better than 10,000 steps?

Nordic walking involves using two poles to propel yourself as you walk. It was first popularised in the ’90s by skiers, hoping to build their strength off-season.

Because it involves the use of your torso and arms, it engages more of your muscles (up to 90% vs regular walking’s 50-ish %, Harvard Health said).

“In many ways,” Dr Aragona told HuffPost UK, “it offers advantages over simply aiming for 10,000 steps a day”, provided you move enough to meet fitness recommendations.

After all, she explained, the figure “was never based on robust medical evidence; rather, it emerged as a marketing concept in the 1960s.

“What we now know is that meaningful health benefits can be achieved with far fewer steps, and that the quality and intensity of movement matter just as much as the number of steps taken.”

Nordic walking may be a more vigorous activity, the GP continued, because it gets more of your body moving.

“Studies suggest it can increase energy expenditure by around 20% compared with ordinary walking at the same speed, so people often achieve a moderate-intensity workout more quickly,” she stated.

“For most adults, around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week is the recommended target, and Nordic walking is an excellent way to meet that… Nordic walking can make each step ‘count’ a little more towards cardiovascular fitness.”

Who might benefit most from “Nordic walking”?

Dr Aragona explained that the technique is an excellent choice for those suffering from joint pain, “including those with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis”.

That’s because “The poles act almost like a support system, distributing some of the body weight through the arms and reducing the load going through the hips, knees, and ankles. This can make walking more comfortable and allow people to walk further or more confidently than they might otherwise manage.”

Additionally, Nordic walking encourages better posture and a longer stride – both of which the GP says can reduce stiffness.

And the added stability and balance the poles offer “can reduce the fear of falling and allow [people] to remain active, important for joint health in the long run”.

The sport, which is often associated with older people, can “be an excellent full-body workout for any age group,” as “It strengthens the core, improves coordination, and provides a cardiovascular boost without the higher impact of running,” Dr Aragona shared.

“Younger adults who find walking ‘too easy’ often enjoy the increased challenge and pace they can achieve with poles,” she ended.

“It can also be ideal for people recovering from injury, those who want a low-impact form of cross-training, or anyone looking for an outdoor activity that improves fitness and strength simultaneously.”

Marie Kondo’s Surprising Secret To Finding Joy

Posted on 16/11/2025 by Boris Clair

Marie Kondo rose to international fame with her bestselling books and the “KonMari method,” which encouraged millions to tidy their homes – and their lives.

The concept is simple: keep only the items that “spark joy,” and bid a grateful farewell to the rest.

Now she’s out with a new book, “Letter from Japan,” which explores the Japanese customs and principles that inform her philosophy on tidying and mindful living.

The essay-style book features reflections on cultural touchstones, such as relaxing at an onsen, snacking on onigiri or reading manga. But it also dives into more figurative Japanese concepts like kawaii – the idea of finding charm and joy in cuteness.

“In our daily lives, we often live with the notion that, as adults, we must always behave properly and be composed,” Kondo told HuffPost via email through an interpreter.

“But simply having an item that you personally find ‘kawaii’ can bring a sense of softness and relaxation into your everyday routine – even if it isn’t meant to be shown to others.”

She’s personally a fan of the popular kawaii character Chiikawa, who adorns a small cosmetic pouch she carries.

“No matter how busy my day is, whenever I open my bag and see Chiikawa’s disarming smile, it somehow reminds me to pause and take a deep breath,” Kondo said. “It feels almost as if this tiny, adorable character is cheering me on – bringing a gentle warmth and calm to my heart. I think that’s the special effect of a kawaii character.”

She believes nurturing the sensibility to notice what’s kawaii in our lives can deepen our sense of gratitude and affection for the things we already have.

That same appreciation for life’s small joys, as well as its inevitable messes, runs through “Letter from Japan,” which arrives almost three years after Kondo made headlines for admitting that she had “kind of given up on” keeping her home tidy as a mother of three.

But rather than a departure from her previous philosophy, the author says, this newer, gentler perspective is simply a natural extension of it.

“The ideas of ‘perfection’ and ‘mastery’ that I discuss in ‘Letter from Japan’ don’t mean that we must always maintain a flawless state,” Kondo said.

“Rather, they express the importance of having the desire to grow toward an ideal goal – the respect and beauty found in the path toward perfection itself. I believe that the imperfections and struggles we encounter along that path are themselves deeply beautiful and meaningful.”

Kondo's new book, "Letter from Japan," explores the cultural traditions and principles that inform her outlook on tidying and on life. — Kondo’s new book, “Letter from Japan,” explores the cultural traditions and principles that inform her outlook on tidying and on life.

Kondo added that embracing imperfection, especially as a parent, has become an important part of how she finds calm and meaning in daily life.

“When it comes to balancing perfection and imperfection, I think what matters most is accepting and loving yourself as you are now – including your imperfections – while still holding onto your aspiration to improve,” Kondo explained.

“For example, even if I’m not able to tidy my home perfectly in the way I ideally would, I believe it’s important to maintain that sense of aspiration – the inner desire to move toward that ideal state.”

At the same time, she aims to embrace her reality as it is in the moment.

“Even if life becomes so busy that I can’t keep my home perfectly tidy, I remind myself to approach that situation with compassion and to cherish my life as a whole,” she said.

“The key is not whether everything is in perfect order, but whether you’re caring for what truly matters most in your life. In my case, since I’m raising children right now, what matters most is spending time communicating with them and maintaining a healthy balance so that I can be fully present as my best self.”

“The key is not whether everything is in perfect order, but whether you’re caring for what truly matters most in your life.”

– Marie Kondo

The goal is not a spotless house, but a balanced life. It’s about compromise and self-compassion. As Kondo notes in her book, all the children’s toys and books that pile up in her home nurture her little ones’ sense of beauty, wonder and curiosity.

And while she has less time to tidy, her day-to-day reality is filled with joyous moments with her kids … and still some opportunities for her cleaning rituals, too.

“Even if tidying has taken a lower priority for the moment, I still feel that I’m living a life that sparks joy – and that sense of awareness is what’s truly important,” Kondo said.

That same embrace of imperfection extends even to how Kondo views one of her most viral moments: the “I love mess!” meme. This clip from her 2019 Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” still pops up frequently on social media in cheeky posts about everything from cluttered apartments to chaotic love lives.

“When I come across that meme… well, I still find it quite endearing even now,” Kondo told HuffPost. “I suppose it’s because my excitement whenever I’m at a tidying site hasn’t changed at all – I still genuinely feel that spark of joy. Seeing it reminds me, ‘Yes, that’s exactly how I feel – tidying really is fun.’”

As for the meme’s place in her legacy, she’s nothing but appreciative.

“I’m actually proud if it has helped even a little to convey the idea that tidying is fun,” Kondo said. “Tidying is often seen as something bothersome or as an obligation, something you have to do. But if this moment helped people realise that the very process of bringing order to a messy space can be fun in itself, then I’m truly happy. It feels like a meaningful part of my purpose.”

What People Get Wrong About Metabolism And Obesity

Posted on 15/11/2025 by Boris Clair

For decades, a myth dominated the health industry: people who are lean have a “naturally fast metabolism” and people with obesity have a “naturally slow metabolism”.

Since metabolism is your body’s process for converting food to energy, this idea seemed logical and fuelled metabolism-boosting trends.

People did everything from taking stimulant drugs to loading their diet with sardines. (Yes, it’s a thing.) These “quick fixes” promised to trick our bodies into burning calories at a faster rate.

But newer research has shown that while metabolism does impact weight, that alone doesn’t fully explain the rise in obesity.

In fact, a recent Duke University study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that metabolic rates remain pretty stable across populations, which suggests that other factors of modern life are more plausible drivers.

Obesity is more prevalent in developed countries than in less developed nations. Historically, health experts attributed the difference to industrialised populations that are less active and eat more calories.

But the Duke study revealed that physical activity may play less of a role than we thought.

Researchers evaluated the daily calorie burn, body fat percentage and BMI for thousands of people across 34 different countries. The biggest finding was that although there was a small decline in body-size-adjusted total calorie burn in developed countries, it wasn’t enough to explain the rise in body fat.

“When we look at different populations with very, very different lifestyles – for example, pastoralists, who are moving with herds of sheep and camels – they have similar body-size adjusted total energy burn as someone who is living in the U.S. sitting at their desk typing on a computer all day,” said Amanda McGrosky, an evolutionary anthropologist at Elon University and co-author of the study.

The finding aligns with previous research that showed our bodies adjust based on the ways we expend energy to keep our calorie burn at a stable level.

“We do see that people will increase their calorie burn when they start picking up a new exercise regime, and they might lose some weight initially. But over the long term, they tend to plateau,” McGrosky said. This happens because your metabolism becomes more efficient, learning to burn fewer calories to complete the same activities.

Exercise is still critical for overall health. It improves cardiovascular, cognitive and mental health and reduces your risk of chronic diseases. It can also help you maintain your weight and build muscle.

But looking at the obesity crisis that spans across developed nations, lack of exercise doesn’t seem to be a main cause.

“On the broad scale, across individuals in different populations, habitual energy expenditure and human metabolism seem to be fairly constrained within this narrow range that we’re all kind of stuck in,” McGrosky said.

So if energy expenditure and a “lack of metabolism” isn’t the answer, what’s really impacting us? Here are two major factors society tends to dismiss when talking about obesity (spoiler alert: the cards are stacked against us):

Processed food

“The current food environment makes it easy to gain weight, and it makes it hard to lose weight,” said Diane Enos, CEO of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. “Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease. It’s not a decision by a person.”

Many experts are now focusing on diet patterns and food systems that impact people starting from childhood, especially ultra-processed foods. Kids and teens get 62% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, and for adults, it’s 53%.

Processed foods are more affordable and easier to access for many families.

Experts are concerned about ultra-processed foods because people tend to eat more of these manufactured products – many times because of their availability and affordability. Your body will often end up absorbing more calories than when you eat unprocessed foods. This happens because the structure of food can actually impact digestion.

Most of your digestion happens in the stomach and small intestine, where your body quickly absorbs calories. Some foods, especially minimally processed, fiber-rich and plant-based foods, make it all the way to the large intestine, where gut bacteria take over and start absorbing calories instead.

“It’s not so much that you’re increasing your metabolism; it’s that you’re shifting who’s doing the metabolising,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.

For example, raw fruits and vegetables can keep a portion of the calories locked in their cell structure while they pass through the stomach and small intestine. When they reach the large intestine, the gut bacteria break them down and absorb some of the calories instead of the person eating the food.

Ultra-processed foods are often broken down before they reach the gut bacteria in the large intestine, so your body absorbs nearly every calorie. Over time, this makes weight gain more likely.

Think about eating 200 calories of steel-cut oats versus 200 calories of instant oatmeal. With steel-cut oats, the natural structure is still intact, so some starches make it to the gut bacteria, which can help you absorb up to 20% less calories. With the instant oatmeal, the grains have already been broken down before you eat them, so your body absorbs more of the calories.

“Ultra-processed foods loaded with refined grains, starch and sugar also slow metabolism,” Mozaffarian said.

So when it comes to weight management, the challenge and solution likely involve the foods we eat, and while metabolism matters, it isn’t something we can easily overhaul with tricks or fad diets.

“I think people should pay attention to metabolism; try to have more muscle mass, try to eat foods that are going to benefit their metabolism and be digested by their gut microbiome … but they shouldn’t look for a quick fix, like just taking a pill or thinking, ‘I’m going to eat protein and my metabolism is going to change.’ Those are the quick fixes that I think are more harmful than beneficial,” Mozaffarian said.

Public policy

If we know that ultra-processed food is less beneficial and leads to overeating, why do we still have so much of it? As mentioned, for many people, it’s the most accessible option.

“In the U.S., a lot of people in lower socioeconomic groups don’t have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” McGrosky said. “You can go to the store and see how expensive it is to buy fresh foods versus stopping at the corner store, where it’s much easier to grab packaged foods that are less nutrient-rich for the number of calories they provide.”

While that’s the case in developed countries, the situation for those facing poverty in other parts of the world can look very different.

Looking across societies, when there’s a shift from hunting, herding or subsistence farming into market economies, body fat percentages rise. Market economies give people access to mass-produced foods that may trigger increases in obesity.

McGrosky shared that the pastoralist families she works with in Kenya live on very little money, but they don’t eat the packaged meals that are commonly served to low-income families in the U.S. Their staples include a dense cornmeal porridge called ugali and milk from goats and sheep. Meat is rare and considered a luxury.

“I think it’s really a product of your social environment and the types of foods that are accessible to you,” McGrosky said.

“That does correlate with socioeconomic status, but it varies a lot depending on the country and the population … From the policy standpoint, I think it’s really important to ensure that everyone has access to these fresh foods that are not processed, foods that actually occur in nature, because our bodies did not evolve to digest ultra-processed foods.”

Your metabolism and the way you eat and move your body is vital to your health, but it's not exactly the easy answer when it comes to why obesity rates have risen. — Your metabolism and the way you eat and move your body is vital to your health, but it’s not exactly the easy answer when it comes to why obesity rates have risen.

When metabolism is the answer to weight gain

Weight is just one measure of health status, and it doesn’t tell the whole story of obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease.

“Even if you lose weight, you still have obesity, you still have a metabolic disorder.” Enos said.

The factors that contribute to it are complex and go beyond food environment and social conditions. A person may also be struggling with genetic factors like an inherited metabolic disorder or hormonal disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome. They may be taking medications that can cause weight gain, like antidepressants or corticosteroids.

Even common conditions like sleep apnoea or chronic stress can disrupt metabolism or increase cortisol production, which can contribute to changes in body composition.

Consider all of those biological factors, and then add in our current food environment and social issues like housing and food insecurity. It’s easy to see why the American Medical Association now views obesity as a disease that requires comprehensive, individualised care.

So, what’s the solution?

About half of all Americans are projected to have obesity by 2030, signalling an urgent need for prevention and destigmatisation. This means reducing bias, shifting focus to overall health and equitable care, and changing the food environment.

“The only way to help people evolve and combat metabolic syndrome and this disease of obesity is to start [from childhood] with easier healthy choices that are affordable, accessible and incentivised over ultra-processed foods,” Enos said. “You can’t put it all on the person if you’re not putting the policies in place to help protect them to begin with.”

Certain initiatives are already in the works. Funded by government grants and nonprofits, farm-to-school programs give children fresh meals, cooking classes and nutrition education. Many schools do not have access to these programs, though, highlighting the need for broader funding and implementation.

At the legislative level, federal and state bills have proposed changes to the labelling and advertising of sugar-sweetened and ultra-processed foods and beverages.

Some localities are adjusting their zoning to restrict fast-food restaurants and incentivise the creation of grocery stores. In terms of food assistance, there are proposed changes to SNAP benefits, and WIC packages were revised last year to encourage families to choose more nutrient-rich foods – but this adjustment isn’t a simple one.

“If people don’t know how to use the produce, or if they don’t have the ability to store it in a safe or healthy way, then it doesn’t do anybody any good,” Enos said. “People think, ‘[Give] them more fresh produce and people will naturally have a better outcome,’ but there’s a system-wide approach that has to be used.”

While many of these large-scale changes will take time, there are slight improvements that can be made in the short term.

“I talk a lot about small steps, not needing people to be perfect,” said Becky Ramsing, senior program officer II at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Ramsing recommends trying to make easy, low-cost switches, like avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages, buying more frozen fruit and vegetables or choosing whole grains instead of simple carbohydrates.

“People’s food decisions are complex,” Ramsing said. “You have culture, gender, community, family, your food environment, and your own health issues. We have to go deeper than just throwing healthy food in the middle of the community. We need to actually make it affordable and have the education so people can make those choices for their families.”

This 2026 Bookish Travel Trend Could Improve Your Mental Health

Posted on 15/11/2025 by Boris Clair

In all the chaos of the world, isn’t it lovely that reading is becoming cool again? As we reported earlier this year, Google searches for “book club” are at their highest in years, and Eventbrite say the number of book club events on the platform has increased by 350% since 2020.

Now, in their Unpack′26 report, the leading travel experts at Expedia reveal that ‘Readaways’ are surging in popularity ahead of 2026 travel.

Working in collaboration with holiday rental site Vrbo, they found that 91% of travellers admit that for 2026 trips, they’re interested in taking a trip centred around reading, relaxation and quality time with loved ones.

So, what is a ‘Readaway’ really?

So, it’s more than just taking some books abroad which is of course incredibly common. ‘Beach Reads’ are called that for a reason, right?

“It’s not new to take a stack of books on vacation, and that’s not what Readaways are,” says Melanie Fish, VP of Communications at Expedia Group.

“These are restful retreats shared with fellow book-lovers, where the real adventures unfold on the page – from a quiet corner in a cozy library, a porch swing, or a pool lounger.”

Reading on a porch swing while sipping a coffee and enjoying the outdoors in comfort? Isn’t that literally the dream?

It isn’t always quite countryside trips, either

Ben McLeod, General Manager at hotel The Social Hub in Glasgow says: “I always ask people why they’re visiting, and more and more I hear that they just want to get away from it all and get lost in a book or two. People are really looking for ways to switch off and step away from their phones.

“Traditionally, you might think people would head to the countryside to read, but while our lobby is busy and there’s always loads of different things happening, I’m always struck by how many guests I see immersed in a book. There’s something special about slowing down in the middle of a busy city.”

Reading is also great for your mental health

If, like me, you are one of the 25% of people in the UK that live with mental health issues, a trip like this may be exactly what you need for a little relief. Studies have indicated that reading can enhance social, mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing.

It also increases resilience and wellbeing for older people, so much so that the Mental Health Foundation recommends reading books and playing musical instruments as a way to preserve mental health in old age.

I will be BOOKing (get it) my own trip very soon.

I Went Public About My Struggles With Diarrhoea. The Response Was Overwhelming.

Posted on 14/11/2025 by Boris Clair

My heart jumped, then thudded, as I faced my fears and the door to Room 207 at Los Altos High School. In three minutes, I would walk in, proceed to the head of the class, listen to teacher Cathy Dao recite my bio to roughly 30 10th graders — and then I would say “diarrhoea” out loud for the first time in my life to an in-person public audience.

It was 2024, and I was at the school to discuss a piece of mine that HuffPost published nearly three years earlier, “Here’s What I Want You to Know About Having Diarrhoea While Out in Public.” The essay addresses bathroom urgency, a condition millions of people experience, some for a limited time and others to varying degrees for the rest of their lives. Because I have Crohn’s disease, I’ve been dealing with it on and off for decades.

Bathroom urgency can affect people with other chronic medical conditions, too, including those with urinary incontinence or paruresis (shy-bladder syndrome); people with ostomy bags; and people on certain medications, say for cancer, weight loss or iron deficiency. But it also can strike delivery folks, mail carriers and other people who don’t work in a building with restrooms nearby, runners, young children and the elderly, and people without homes. Essentially, at some point, there’s a good chance that everyone will require a public restroom because of an urgent need to go, and my essay laid out the need for more easily accessible facilities.

The HuffPost Personal editor had liked my article straightaway — I was the one who put the brakes on publishing it. Several weeks before it was slated to go up on the site, I emailed him, “I’m scared to have this piece published — wondering if I’ll have the nerve to post on social media.” The thought of appearing before such a large and public audience as someone who experiences diarrhoea was terrifying, especially because so few people talk openly about it. However, that was all the more reason to move forward. I slept on it, and then nervously gave my editor the go-ahead.

Across social media platforms, the feedback was mostly positive. One person wrote about waiting for this article for their entire life. A few people were not supportive, writing comments such as, “This article is disgusting.” Hearing something like that can stick with a recovering people-pleaser.

Ultimately, I was happy I’d written the essay — and was happy I was going to be talking about it at the high school. Thanks to an invitation from the school librarian, Gordon Jack, to participate in the school’s annual Writers Week, I had first discussed my writing with students there six years prior.

Five days before my talk, I emailed Ms. Dao, whom I’d gotten to know over the years. “Curious how my article was rec’d by your students, and/or if you have any suggestions re: approach?”

Ms. Dao assured me that she’d told her first period class I had never spoken these words to a non-Crohn’s audience, and that she was confident they would be mature, but I was still anxious. Telling the truth meant risking ridicule, rejection and/or embarrassment — especially in front of high school students. That said, I also knew that if I didn’t start telling my truth, it might not make it out into the world.

Standing before the classroom door, I summoned my purpose: to raise awareness and to ease at least one other person’s way… even if I did not know how much it would ease mine.

"Sometimes it takes a teacher — and her class." (The author, left, with Cathy Dao). — “Sometimes it takes a teacher — and her class.” (The author, left, with Cathy Dao).

Clutching my marked-up essay in one hand, and reaching for the doorknob with the other, I headed into that high school classroom… and my deepening vulnerability.

I’d had a carefree childhood in a close-knit seaside town, just riding the waves and my Schwinn — until I began to feel ill weeks before I entered 9th grade and 19 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act.

After 18 months of watching and listening to the swirling white coats from my exam table perch, I finally got a diagnosis: Crohn’s disease, one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), along with ulcerative colitis (UC).

One afternoon in the waiting room of my new gastroenterologist, I grabbed a brochure for a camp for kids with Crohn’s. I thought if I went, maybe I could make even one friend who got this disease without me trying to get them to get it. I excitedly flapped the brochure in my mom’s direction on the drive home.

“Can I go to this camp for kids with Crohn’s?” I asked.

My mom had doggedly pursued a diagnosis for me. She sat up at night worrying about me, stuffed enemas up my back side, cleaned up my vomit and diarrhoea, and watched “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” with me rather than socialising on Saturday nights. She showed up for me in every way she could, but she just couldn’t bring herself to actually talk about what was really going on. Like most of us, she was a product of her time and upbringing. I loved her more than anything — she just didn’t understand where my desire to go to the camp was coming from.

“No,” she answered. “We’re not going to focus on that.”

And so we didn’t. We talked about my disease as little as possible.

I learned my lesson: Never show my stripes in public. I was also a teenager, and I wanted to fit in, so I hid my shameful secret as best I could — even from myself. Advocating for people with invisible disabilities never crossed my mind at that time.

Decades later, in 2016, I heard a news commentator mention a survey about the easiest way to get out of work.

Tell them you’re having digestive problems, she said, because no one wants to talk about them, and you won’t be asked any questions.

She and her cozy colleagues all laughed.

But this is no joke.

“Some patients with severe ulcerative colitis flare-ups may need to use the bathroom more than 10 times a day,” Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Chief Scientific Officer Alan Moss, MD, wrote in an email. “This frequency makes it very hard to leave their homes.”

So UC, as well as a variety of other medical conditions, can sometimes cause people to become virtual prisoners in their homes — if they have them.

Those same conditions can cause people without homes to go through periods of routinely scrambling to find a bathroom quickly, if they find one at all, on top of their other day-to-day challenges.

Tragically, in 2019, a 10-year-old Kentucky boy died by suicide after being bullied about his colostomy bag, which resulted from a bowel condition he’d had since birth. For a variety of complicated reasons that may include bidirectionality as well as bathroom-use embarrassment, people with IBD may also experience depression as well as suicide attempts and death, as can those with IBS and other chronic diseases.

After four decades or so with Crohn’s, I was extremely weary — from finding bathrooms while out in the world, from the vomiting, diarrhoea and acute pain that occurred separately or simultaneously, from feeling invisible, from pretending, from searching for words to convey one of the fundamental stories of my life — all of which I only realised after talking to my therapist.

She was the first person I ever told about my nights in high school when I experienced the howling pain, about how I would writhe on the bathmat behind closed doors and never wake my parents, and only the second person I ever told about a particularly awful bathroom accident in college. Shortly thereafter, I told my husband of 30+ years about both. I never did tell my parents.

The author's three children visit her on Halloween while she recovered from another Crohn's-related bowel resection. — The author’s three children visit her on Halloween while she recovered from another Crohn’s-related bowel resection.

I made a video about my Crohn’s for our church.

“What you see isn’t my story,” I said, “and isn’t that true of all of us?”

I also helped organise an invisible disabilities week at church, including a Zoom panel in which I participated. I spoke on another invisible-disabilities panel, again comforted by the barrier my computer screen provided.

In 2020, chained to my desk during lockdown and wanting to give others the voice I couldn’t find for so many years, I co-founded the Disability at Stanford Oral History Project for people in the Stanford community with disabilities. Individuals — including me — were interviewed about their experiences for two to four hours.

Little by little, I was coming out of myself and sharing my stories with more and more people. Publishing my essay on HuffPost exposed me in an entirely new way.

“Thank you for sharing your personal story. It helped me to know that for the last 35 to 40 years, I have not been alone,” wrote one reader.

Another commented, “For every sufferer who happens to stumble on this courageous piece, there are many others who won’t. I hope it goes viral for all of us.”

One reader confessed, “I’m so glad I did read it, and feel like a jerk for my snarky thoughts.”

A paediatric health psychologist shared, “I work with youth with chronic digestive conditions, and having this out there in such a public forum is huge in breaking down stigma and shame … felt by so many kids…”

Hundreds of thousands of people read my piece. I was overwhelmed by the response.

A few people who read my article pointedly challenged me about whether I wear protective underwear, which made me realise I’d lived inside myself for so long that I hadn’t considered writing about how I can go a few years without having an accident while out and about.

Their questions prompted further self-examination, and I’m happy to share more about what my life currently looks like with Crohn’s.

I take most of my thrice-weekly walks in city parks and on school campuses that I’m familiar with so I can quickly locate one of their numerous, fairly clean bathrooms. If I walk on trails or at the beach, I might take an Imodium before departing, which I also do when I travel. I know I can access bathroom-finder apps such as “We Can’t Wait” or “Flush,” among others, and I continue to always carry a change of clothes with me. I take two fibre pills daily, and follow my gluten- and dairy-free diet (most of the time). All of this helps me feel better and gives me more confidence to venture out.

My situation can still turn on a dime. That’s part of having a chronic illness like mine. That said, I have not had a single accident related to bathroom urgency outside my home since my HuffPost essay was published in 2021.

We’ve learned more since then.

Seven weeks after my article appeared, Rebecca Kaplan, then-associate director of marketing & communications at The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, reported to me that the Foundation had seen a recent uptick in requests for their “I Can’t Wait” card, which people with IBD can show proprietors or those at the front of a public bathroom line to prove they have to get to a stall immediately.

By downloading the free "We Can’t Wait" restroom finder app, anyone — whether a Crohn's & Colitis Foundation member or not — can access a digital “I Can’t Wait” bathroom-access card. The Foundation provides a physical card for those who become a member, and non-members who also need a hard-copy card can now request one from the Foundation's Help Center at 1-888-MY-GUT-PAIN or 1-888-694-8872. The Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses (COGI), United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA), and other organizations also offer restroom-access cards. — By downloading the free “We Can’t Wait” restroom finder app, anyone — whether a Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation member or not — can access a digital “I Can’t Wait” bathroom-access card. The Foundation provides a physical card for those who become a member, and non-members who also need a hard-copy card can now request one from the Foundation’s Help Center at 1-888-MY-GUT-PAIN or 1-888-694-8872. The Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses (COGI), United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA), and other organizations also offer restroom-access cards.

Thanks to COVID-era discussions, the 2023 coverage of a Delta passenger who had diarrhoea in their seat (I cannot imagine), the side effects of new medications like Ozempic, and a social media trend intent on normalising stomach and bowel concerns, diarrhoea-related internet searches jumped by about 40% from 2018 to 2023.

The Portland Airport has opened single-occupancy, all-gender (SOAG) restrooms that are inclusive, accessible and touchless. Earlier this year, New York City’s Public Restroom Act was signed, and the bipartisan Trucker Bathroom Access Act was reintroduced in Congress. If we can’t bond over our shared bathroom needs, what can we bond over?

But there’s still a lot of work to do.

We need more, cleaner, safer public restrooms and a whole lot more compassion. And we need to have more conversations about bathroom urgency, why it happens, and how we can help one another.

That’s why, as scary as it was to meet that group of high schoolers face to face, I showed up and discussed my essay with them. Unbeknownst to me, Ms. Dao had asked a student from another one of her classes to attend my talk. During the Q&A, that student revealed we share the same disease.

“It was a good feeling to listen to someone who has that common experience,” they told me later, adding that they’d never met anyone else with Crohn’s. Maybe they saw their 15-year-old self in my six-decades-and-counting self. I definitely saw my 10th grade self in them.

May we all be as respectful to one another as Ms. Dao and her 10th graders were to me. Though I still prefer the page to the podium, Ms. Dao and her students helped me feel safer and better about speaking up and out. And here I thought I was there to teach the kids!

This year I returned to Los Altos High School to talk about my article again, only this time I had far less fear. I’ll be back again next year if they’ll have me.

Change — for me and for our society — is slow. But I can see it.

And this is how it happens: one word, one step, one stall at a time.

Alison Carpenter Davis, a former Outside magazine managing editor, has written about life with Crohn’s for HuffPost and the International Herald Tribune, and is at work on a memoir. Look for her interviews for I’m Still Rolling, as well as the Disability at Stanford Oral History Project, a project she co-founded and for which she received the 2024 Susan W. Schofield Award. She’s written on a variety of topics for the Chicago Tribune, The Des Moines Register, The Independent, and the International Herald Tribune, among others. Her book Letters Home from Stanford was released in paperback last year. You can contact her here.

To learn how to advocate for the Restroom Access Act, also called Ally’s Law, go here. To ask for a restroom-access form or wallet i.d. card, contact your health-care provider, the appropriate nonprofit organisation related to your medical condition, or your state health department, which may provide a downloadable form similar to California’s health department.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health issues, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.