5 Healthy Chocolate Desserts You’ll Be Obsessed With

Immune Boosting Winter Citrus Smoothie

Crush your cold with all the colorful in-season produce like blood oranges, beets, pomegranates, and rainbow chard spiced with ginger, turmeric, and cayenne. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Creamy Yogurt Popsicles with Berries

Nurse your sore throat with these healthy popsicles made with fresh berries and just five ingredients! (via The Real Food Dietitians)

15-Minute Asian Cold Remedy Soup

Maybe this soup’s claim has something to do with the hefty dose of fresh ginger in each bite.(via Fork in the Kitchen)

Cold-Soothing Chai Hot Toddy

Your grandma wasn’t lying when she said that a hot toddy is the best cold medicine. This chai-spiced version adds even more warmth to the drink and will lull you into a peaceful night of sleep. (via Baking Mischief)

Honey Chamomile Popsicles

Honey and chamomile are two soothing ingredients for a sore throat or upset tummy. Keep them stored in the freezer, and you and your kids will be more than happy to snack on them while sick. (via Vanilla and Bean)

Immune Boosting Garden Herb Stock

Once you get over your illness, you need to do everything you can to keep your immune system up. This nutritious stock is full of vitamins and minerals that you can drink straight or add to just about any dish you like. (viaOm Nom Ally)

Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

You’ve got to have a solid chicken noodle soup recipe, no matter who you’re trying to nurse back to health. This one has plenty of protein, veggies, and comforting egg noodles to get your stomach settled. (viaAverie Cooks)

Golden Milk

Delicious both hot or cold, this anti-inflammatory drink made with coconut milk, dates, turmeric, and cinnamon is full of medicinal properties that will leave you feeling great in no time. Plus, it's gluten and dairy-free, vegan, and super easy to make! (via Clean Cuisine)

Rosehip Tea

Ripe in late fall, rosehips are high in vitamin C and can help strengthen your immune system. This tea, made with these fruits of rose plants, has an amazing effect on your body, before and after your sick day. (via Give Recipe)

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

If you're not a fan of noodles or just not in the mood for them, opt for a chicken and rice soup instead. (via Feel Good Foodie)

Turmeric Ginger Chickpea Noodle Soup

Thisimmune-boosting chickpea noodle soup is full of veggies with a flavorful ginger turmeric broth, plus it's ready in about 30 minutes! (via Crowded Kitchen)

All-Natural DIY Pineapple Cough Syrup

No more cough syrup at home? Go for this all-natural alternative. The combination of pineapple, cayenne, lemon, ginger, and honey is more than effective at keeping your coughs at bay. (via The View from Great Island)

Gingery Poached Egg Soup

Sometimes it’s hard to even eat chicken noodle soup when you’re feeling under the weather. This light version will be ready for you to sip in 15 minutes, and it won’t weigh too heavily on your stomach. (via The Kitchn)

Healing Turmeric Cauliflower Soup

The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric are just one of the reasons this soup is perfect for healing your sick body. If you’re having any trouble swallowing, the smooth texture will be easy for you to get down and digest. (via Simply Quinoa)

Healing Bowls With Turmeric Sweet Potatoes, Poached Eggs, and

Lemon Dressing

When you’re able to eat a little bit more, a big bowl of nourishing ingredients is what you need. This sweet potato and brown rice bowl is full of greens, poached egg, and a lemony dressing to help you feel like a million bucks. (via Pinch of Yum)

Immunity Shots

You could go to a fancy juice bar to get an immune-boosting shot or you could make one at home for a fraction of the cost, and you won’t have to get out of your pajamas. Use your blender or juicer to combine carrot, ginger, lemon, and garlic together into a cold-blooded flu killer. (via With Food and Love)

Cold Buster Citrus Smoothie

If your immune system does give into the office cold, this vitamin C-packed drink will help you recover at lightning speed. (via Seasonal Cravings)

Moon Milk

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the hardest things to do while you’re sick. This antioxidant-rich warm moon milk recipe features nutmeg and ashwagandha, both of which are known for lulling you into a restful slumber. (via Bon Appetit)

Super Immunity Power Salad

Move over, spinach. This kale salad is here to take the spot as the most nutritious and delicious way to eat your greens. (via The Garden Grazer)

Triple Berry Kiwi Smoothie

Who needs a multivitamin when you could just drink this smoothie every day? One kiwi has over 100 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, so you know that you’ll stay healthy through flu season with this as your breakfast. (via The Pretty Bee)

Vegan Vegetable Noodle Soup Recipe

Even without the chicken, noodle soup is good for the soul. (via Veggie Society)

Homemade Hot Apple Cider Recipe

Homemade Hot Apple Cider Recipe

Sometimes all you need is a hot, seasonal drink to get you back on your feet. (via Pink Owl Kitchen)

CREAMY SWEET POTATO CHICKEN SOUP

Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A which! Is great for fighting off illnesses.(via Averie Cooks)

SPICY SOFT TOFU SOUP

Sometimes all you need is a little spice to clear up a stuffy nose! (Takes Two Eggs)

Follow us on Pinterest for more sick day recipes.

This post has been updated.

Easy Homemade Sore Throat Gummies

These lemon, ginger, and honey gummies are better than any lozenge than you can get at the store. The natural ingredients will coat your throat and ease any annoying tickles or cough that you may have. (via Hello Creative Family)

Why Your Flexibility Stalls

As though going through puberty weren’t enough of a struggle, it’s also the time when you start to lose your natural flexibility. “No one is more flexible in their life than they are as a child,” says Dr. Leython Williams, a doctor of physical therapy at Athletico Physical Therapy. “However, during puberty, children often become temporarily less flexible. Some children have slow growth spurts, while others grow very quickly. This temporary decrease in muscle length/flexibility is a result of their bones growing faster than their muscles and tendons can stretch.”

Note that Dr. Williams refers to this particular loss of flexibility as temporary — meaning we can’t blame puberty for the fact our toes seem to be getting farther away every time we try to touch them.

“There is no specific age when we wake up and our flexibility has ‘officially declined.’ However, it is a fact that as we age our flexibility decreases, which leads to decreased functional ability and mobility,” he explains. “As our bodies get older, we lose a small amount of flexibility as a result of the normal aging processes. There is loss of water in our tissues and intervertebral discs, increased stiffness in our joints, and a loss of elasticity in muscles and tendons. In our 20s and 30s, it is important that we develop a consistent static and dynamic stretching regimen to establish and maintain flexibility and range of motion more easily into our older years.”

That’s right: What you do now matters later. And this isn’t just about keeping up in yoga, Dr. Williams cautions. “It becomes imperative that we stretch regularly to decrease our likelihood of various injuries.” Jill Belland, co-founder of Barre Belle, agrees. “It’s easy to feel invincible if you’re young and injury free! Flexibility will reduce your risk of injury: What doesn’t bend will break. Increased range of motion, balance, and mobility are all linked to flexibility and contribute to overall strength and fitness.”

How to Get It Back

When you’re a kid, flexibility comes naturally; when you’re an adult, you have to take responsibility for improving and maintaining it. “Peak flexibility age for adults can differ person to person and depends largely on their physical activity habits,” says Dr. Rachelle Reed, PhD, Pure Barre’s manager of training development and barre kinesiologist. “Notably, flexibility can be improved at any age when flexibility training is incorporated into a regular exercise routine. It’s important for adults to be strategic about including flexibility training into their workouts, because maintaining flexibility and physical function as we move into middle and older adulthood is associated with better quality of life and independent living.”

There’s no one flexibility standard everyone has to meet, Belland reassures: “There is no golden rule for what perfect flexibility is person to person, but there are simple markers such as touching your toes from a forward fold for hamstrings/lower back, or reaching for your hands behind your back, with one hand behind the head and the other behind the waist, for shoulder mobility. You don’t need to be a contortionist; moving around with fluidity in your everyday life and having good range of motion in your favorite activities without feeling pain or tension is a better way to gauge your own personal goals.”

But where do you start if you want to improve your flexibility? Dr. Reed explains, “There are two main types of flexibility training that you should aim to incorporate into your routine: Dynamic stretching, where a stretch is performed by moving through a challenging but attainable range of motion several times in a row, and static stretching, where a stretch is held in a challenging but attainable position for a longer period of time (at least 10-30 seconds).”

How do you know how far to go? “Our muscles have a natural stretch reflex that prevents us from going too far into a stretch, which can also cause injury,” Belland tells us. “Aim to gently stretch through this reflex. The key to increasing flexibility is about time under tension: It takes around 20 seconds to ease through the stretch reflex. Reintroduce the stretch and hold it for 10 seconds longer, working up to one minute. The second time you introduce a stretch, the stretch reflex will diminish, allowing your body to get deeper into your stretch and also building better muscle memory.”

If you’re still worried about injuring yourself — especially if you’ve been injured in the past — Dr. Williams recommends seeing a physical therapist for guided stretches. Belland reminds us that you don’t have to go to the gym or spend hours on stretching. “Stretch a little bit every day when you can fit it in after a workout or in front of the TV. If you just don’t think you’ll stretch on your own, getting to a yoga or a barre class is helpful if you need the accountability of a dedicated time and space.”

Speaking of the gym, just as your phys ed teacher told you, stretching is especially important before and after a workout. “Far too often active individuals begin their workouts without a dynamic stretch,” Dr. Williams says. “Dynamic stretching increases one’s range of movement and blood flow to soft tissues prior to physical exertion and/or sport performance. This type of stretching is vital in improving performance and reducing the risk for injury.”

But you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit — in fact, stretching is an important antidote to all that sitting those of us with desk-based jobs tend to do. “Sitting at your desk all day can lead to decreased flexibility in hip flexors and hamstrings by keeping them in a shortened position for a prolonged period of time,” Dr. Williams warns. “Consider a standing desk or work station or taking several breaks throughout your work day to stand up and stretch.”

The BEST Moments From The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 

The Model Lineup Was Impressive

We held our breaths at the beginning of the show because we genuinely wanted to believe Victoria's Secret would have the best models for the show. It seems like they've been listening to customers because some of favorite faces made an appearance. It was hard to keep up with the names of everyone we say, but E! News made our day with their breakdown of names we may have missed:

• Bella Hadid
• Gigi Hadid
• Ashley Graham
• Paloma Elsesser
• Kate Moss
• Lila Moss (Kate's daughter)
• Jasmine Tookes (We were bummed she didn't get more screen time)
• Candice Swanepoel
• Irina Shayk (Super interesting because Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are an item)
• Behati Prinsloo
• Adriana Lima
• Alessandra Ambrosio
• Barbara Palvin (Dylan Sprouse's wife)
• Joan Smalls
• Liu Wen
• Doutzen Kroes
• Taylor Hill
• Awar Odiang
• Vittoria Ceretti
• Mika Schneider
• Valentina Sampaio
• Maty Fall
• Alex Consai
• Mayowa Nicholas
• Grace Elizabeth
• Anok Yai
• Imaan Hamman
• Blesnya Minher
• Devyn Garcia

Body Positivity Was On Display

From Paloma Elsesser to Ashley Graham, we were genuinely excited to see more diverse bodies on the runway. It's our belief that all bodies should be celebrated, not just those with slender frames. As we know, bodies come in all shapes and sizes, complete with stretch marks, thigh dimples, and more!

Angel Wings Made Their Memorable Return

We were wondering if we'd see the famous angel wings on display during the Victoria's Secret fashion show and we were not disappointed. Our favorite pair was the soft feathery design worn by Gigi Hadid. She wore a sexy satin romper that gave way to a little peek-a-boo underwear action that gives us some ideas for our next sleepwear spree!

Cher's Performance

One of the best moments from the show was watching Cher give an electric performance that made us forget she's almost 80 years old. She wore a monochromatic outfit that featured silver hardware and wore her signature jet black, middle-part hairstyle that flowed each time she moved.

She sang "Strong Enough" and "Believe" as the audience swayed to the beat. It seems like these were fitting choices for the night because the models seemed to gain an extra dose of confidence in their walks.

Tyra's Major Comeback

Just like we predicted, Tyra's comeback at the end of the night wowed us. She wore a stunning sparkly corset that accentuated her cleavage and let us know she still hasn't lost the 'smize' we've always adored. We can tell she genuinely enjoyed being on the runway again because she held both hands up at the end of the show and was smiling from ear to ear as pink confetti flowed down.

When did Victoria's Secret announce the 2024 Fashion Show?

Victoria's Secret shared a cute reel on Instagram in May about the return of the fashion show. It wrote, "We've read the comments and heard you. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is ✨ BACK ✨ and will reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love—the glamour, runway, wings, musical entertainment, and more! Stay tuned…it only gets more iconic from here. 🪽#VSFashionShow," in the caption. For the most part, fans seemed eager to see the models, lingerie, and energy of the show on their TV screens again.

What is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?

Once known as one of the United State's most popular lingerie brands, Victoria's Secret created a fashion show to showcase popular lingerie designs with the help of gorgeous models, reimagined angel wings, and an amazing musical score to boot!

Debuting in 1995, this show highlighted lingerie in a way that was previously unheard of, and it really caught the attention of the fashion industry (via Fashionista). However, it wasn't until 1997 that the well known "Angel" collection for the brand was introduced to the public. According to Fashionista, Tyra Banks was actually the first person to wear the famous 'wings' onstage, starting a lasting legacy.

Why was the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show considered controversial?

This was the first Victoria's Secret fashion show to premiere on TV since 2019, and that's sadly due to controversy that plagued the brand. While they attempted to bring the show back in 2023, people weren't showing as much interest in watching, so the brand made the difficult decision to cancel, according to NBC News. This is probably due to the horrific comments it's parent company's former chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, made in 2018.

He didn't see the need to include transgender models that were usually seen on the runway "because the show is a fantasy," (via NBC News). Razek later tried to clean up his original statement by saying, "We've had transgender models come to the castings ... And like many others, they didn't make it ... But it was never about gender," but the damage was done.

Things continued to go downhill for the brand when its models penned and signed a call-to-action letter to CEO John Mehas. It made a connection to L Brands' CEO Leslie Wexner's friendship with the disgraced and deceased Jeffrey Epstein along with rampant sexual misdeeds in the entire fashion industry (via NBC News). Yikes...

Plus, many people didn't feel like these shows embodied body positivity, only showcasing traditionally thin women on the runway. As of this year, it seems like the brand is committed to change, though.