Zara Hanawalt
Stop whispering, start talking: sharp, sassy takes on life in a female body.
A New Study Explains Why Women Are More Susceptible to Prolonged Pain
If you were to ask me to explain why women tend to experience more prolonged periods of pain, I'd have a lot of theories. Women, after all, carry pregnancies (which don't just affect your body for nine-ish months, FYI)...and we tend to neglect our own needs in order to meet everybody else's, we face wild amounts of medical gaslighting...the list goes on.
But new research reveals that there may be another reason at work. According to the study, which was published in Science Immunology, women do experience slower pain resolution and are more prone to developing chronic pain (no, it's not just in your head). The study also points out that the reason for this is unclear (which, you know, tends to be the case when it comes to matters of women's pain).
The researchers observed male and female mice to learn more about why male mice tend to have quicker pain resolution, which has been shown in previous research. What they found when comparing these animal findings to data sets was that the reason for this may be molecular.
The researchers observed that males were more likely to produce a molecule called interleukin-10+ (IL-10). In both sexes, the pain wasn’t resolved when IL-10 was deleted. Pain can certainly have a hormonal link, which may explain why women report greater pain during certain points in their cycles (menstrual migraines, anyone?), and hormonal differences between men and women could be at the root of all this. After traumatic injuries, men reported faster pain resolution and higher production of IL-10…which may be signaled by androgens, which are a group of sex hormones.
Listen, this research doesn’t give us all the answers, but it does validate the idea that women experience greater pain and have a harder time getting rid of said pain. As always, knowledge is power and information opens doors. So maybe these findings can give the medical community new ways to better understand and address women’s pain.
Ask Clara:
"Why is women's pain dismissed?"
Is Spring Actually a Better Time to Make a New Years Resolution?
If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m not into New Year’s resolutions. To me, they just feel like they put way too much pressure on self-improvement rather than life improvement. And in the dreary month of January, when I’m coming off of the exhausting marathon that is the holiday season, when the days are short and the months feel endless, the last thing I want to do is commit to going to the gym everyday or whatever.
But maybe we’ve had the concept of resolutions wrong all this time. Obviously, a new year does feel like a great time for a fresh start. But spring is also a time for new beginnings, a season of rebirth. And maybe…that makes spring the perfect time for a resolution instead.
This was brought to my attention by the late James Van Der Beek, who made a video arguing for spring to be considered our fresh start. “Why are we celebrating a new year in the dead of winter? Why are we celebrating new beginnings at a time when nature rests?” he said. “The time to celebrate a new beginning and a new you and a new resolution is spring.”
There’s research to support this, and a piece from The Conversation sums it up really well. It all begs the question…should we all just embrace the idea of March resolutions instead of New Year’s resolutions?
Of course, you don’t need a massive cultural shift to decide to do this on your own. You can wake up tomorrow and resolve to meet up with a friend once a week, or hit a step goal everyday, or take up a new hobby. And honestly? There’s a chance you may have more success — early spring just feels like a much more motivating time than January, you know? The only drawback is, you won’t have that community feel of everyone else committing to a resolution at the same time.
At the end of the day, it’s your call to make, (though if you want to mobilize an early spring resolution shift for us to all take up together, I’m all for it!).
But whether you do them in January or March or some other time entirely, I believe resolutions should serve you, not stress you out. If you tried committing to daily gym sessions and you simply couldn’t find the time for it last January, chances are, it’s still going to feel like an overwhelming goal in the spring. But committing to waking up a bit earlier everyday? That may actually feel a little bit easier now that the sun is up a bit earlier.
Does Anyone Actually Have Time for a 10k Daily Step Goal?
I love to walk. Love it. I’d take three walks a day if I had the time, knocking out 15k steps each and every day. But I, like most people, don’t have the time for that.
On social media, you see a lot of narratives about discipline and fitness and lifestyle and how everyone has the same 24 hours in a day (we don’t, actually). People say that anyone who claims they can’t devote themselves to fitness, or healthy eating, or yes, hitting step goals is “lazy” or “making excuses".
Creators in this space love to say they’re “not motivated, they’re disciplined” — and often when you call out the specific scenarios that help these creators achieve their goals (like: “Fitness is your full-time job”), they’ll frequently invalidate that claim. “I made time for this even when I had a desk job,” they’ll say.
But here’s the thing: There are so many factors that affect what people truly have time for. And while the 10k steps a day narrative is a popular one, I’d argue that getting in these steps is the most time-consuming wellness goal of all. It’s not always impossible to squeeze in a 30-minute workout or bake some chicken and veggies for dinner, but 10,000 steps require a lot of time devoted…and it’s time most people simply don’t have.
Yes, there are hacks available: You can invest in a walking pad to get more steps in when it’s too cold to walk outdoors. You can park really far away from every store when you’re running errands. You can take your kids out in the stroller and pound the pavement while they nap. These can help, but they can’t necessarily get you there every single day. And that’s okay.
As we’re finally starting to discuss, the 10k steps idea is really a myth. This isn’t a magical number, but of course, hitting it each day means you’ve done a good bit of walking. So if a daily 10k step goal resonates with you, if it feels like a reasonably challenging goal, and if you love the way you feel after consistent 10k step days…that’s amazing! But if you simply don’t have the time for this type of step goal? Also amazing,
Social media has us feeling like wellness is one-size-fits-all, and that if you can’t make these trendy goals work for your life, you’re failing and will never be healthy. Reject that, sis. What works for some of us won’t work for all of us, and the 10k (or 15k or 20k or whatever you’re seeing online) isn’t a magical solution…and it isn’t right for everyone.
Ask Clara:
"Should I walk 10,000 steps a day?"
This Clip of Anne Hathaway Shutting Down Sexist Questions Will Infuriate You (Hopefully for the Right Reason)
If you're a millennial, you remember the days of Hathaway hate — when the mere mention of Anne Hathaway's name could send groups of people into diatribes about how "unlikable" the talented actress is.
Not surprisingly, the pit of Hathaway's likability came around the same time as the peak of her professional success. Because doesn't the likability paradox always go that way?
So why is all the relevant now, a full 15-ish years after the height of Hathway hate? Well, I just came across a clip of the actress answering a series of incredibly sexist, invasive questions, and I was immediately reminded of how much the public panned this poor woman. And for what? She didn't do anything wildly offensive or commit a crime. When I saw this video and it all made sense: So much of the Hathaway hate was a byproduct of the star's refusal to let sexist BS fly.
Hathaway stands up for herself. And let's face it, we have a hard time with women who don't roll over and allow the world to walk all over them. In this clip, it's so obvious. The video features a series of interview questions directed towards Hathaway, Many are about her weight and her body. The zinger for me is when Hathaway is asked about a wardrobe malfunction she suffered.
"I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of someone in a vulnerable moment and rather than delete it and do the decent thing, sells it... And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants," she said. And then, like a consummate professional, she steered the conversation away from her body and her humiliation and back to her work, which was the whole reason for her press appearance.
MIC DROP MOMENT. Listen, today we'd probably applaud this moment, but when you look back and think about the "unlikable" moniker Hathaway received, and then you go back and watch interviews, it all becomes painfully clear: People hated this woman because she advocated for herself, publicly and unabashedly. She didn't let the invasive questions slide. She didn't laugh off the body-shaming. She moved the needle around how we speak to women and what we demand they share. And that made her the villain, according to many — but to us? It makes her a role model.
Ask Clara:
"What is the likability paradox?"
Infant Sleep Scores are Just Another Way We Stress Out New Moms
I became a mom in 2018, shortly after the tech boom in the baby care space.
There were bassinets that auto-rocked your baby, heart rate monitors that strapped into those tiny newborn feet, rockers that stimulated the motion of a mother's womb...and so on and so forth. I totally fell for it, too. I bought the gadgets and I felt a level of gratitude for the modern-day conveniences of new motherhood.
But like...have we gone too far? Because now there's literally a way to get your baby's sleep score via AI thanks to Nanit's new offerings. And I don't know....it just feels like one more thing that'll stress out already exhausted and overwhelmed new parents.
I find myself wondering if, by making new parenthood so modernized, we're simply making life harder and more stressful for new parents. And, of course, when I say "new parents", I mostly mean new mothers. They are, after all, the ones being fed constant ads and reminders of these products.
It's natural for new moms to feel like they need to invest in all the things in order to make the transition to parenthood more seamless, or even to give your children the best start in life. It's also natural to seek validation that we're doing it right, to crave tangible representation of our performance in motherhood...and, in an attempt to do that, to seek out this type of data. But the truth is, the things that can make new parenthood easier aren't high-tech. They're things like paid leave, proper postpartum healthcare, accessible mental health care, a village, adequate rest, and true human support. We don't need every new product or an app for everything or all the metrics.
To me, having your baby's sleep score feels the intersection of all those things: Too much tech, too many products, and too many metrics ‚ and if you know me, you know I LOVE information! But do we really need to know our baby's sleep score, or is that just one more data point for us to (no pun intended!) lose sleep over? Perhaps I see it more clearly now, seven years into motherhood, but I feel like it's the latter.
Ask Clara:
"Are mothers prepared for postpartum?"
We're Chopped, Fam: A Shocking Percentage of Gen Z Thinks Wives Should 'Obey' Their Husbands
A recent study found something shocking: Nearly one-third of Gen Z men who responded to the survey believe women should “obey” their husbands.
Yes, obey. Not respect. Not love. Not trust. Obey. Their. Husbands.
The wildest part of all this? Gen Z men were found to be far more likely to hold these old-school ideas about decision-making power in a marriage than their baby boomer counterparts. So much for progress, right?
These findings come from IPSOS and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, King’s College London, and were released to align with — you can’t make this stuff up — International Women’s Day. It included a survey of 23,000 people in 29 countries….so yeah, that’s pretty comprehensive.
The findings are pretty alarming: Aside from the “obey your husband” of it all, the research also revealed that nearly a quarter of the men surveyed believe women should not appear too independent or self-sufficient, and 21 percent think women should never initiate sex (yes, really).
More than half of the Gen Z men surveyed believe they’re “expected to do too much” in the name of equality, and honestly that doesn’t even surprise me because…*gestures all around*.
Listen, anyone who spends any amount of time on TikTok knows that this type of ethos is out there. There’s the manosphere, there’s red pilling, and as a result, men are feeling some type of way about the role they’re expected to play in our world. And unfortunately, far too many women are carrying water for the patriarchy and boldly declaring themselves anti-feminist (all while profiting off of those messages, which is kind of the whole point of feminism). But instead of talking about how patriarchy is actually harming both men and women (are we ready for that conversation yet?), we’re sliding back into these weird, retrograde ideas about gender roles in relationships. And it’s….the exact opposite of progress.
Anyway, as the kids say…we’re chopped, fam. We’re chopped.
Ask Clara:
"How does the patriarchy harm men?"
Pandemic Nostalgia is a Thing. Am I a Monster for Feeling It?
It’s been six years since the world as we knew it changed entirely thanks to a global pandemic. Like most people, I miss parts of our pre-pandemic world (we’ve gotten a little too socially awkward, yaknow?), yet I also think this world-altering virus changed some things for the better.
But here's my little secret: From time to time, I miss those earliest days of the pandemic....and I used to be ashamed to admit that because, well...it wasn't exactly the happiest of times. When I recently dared to admit my pandemic nostalgia to a friend, she confided that she felt it too.
To be very, very clear: I don’t miss the way the world felt, that sense of doomsday every day. I don’t miss the darkness or the fear or terrible news cycle or the death and destruction the pandemic brought upon so many people.
But I do miss how slowly time moved. I miss not feeling rushed all the time. I miss spending so much time with my family.
Of course, it’s easy to look back at the pandemic and only remember the coziness of being quarantined, and blocking out all the anxiety we faced. When I think back to the quarantine days, I remember playing on the floor with my kids. I don’t immeadiately remember wiping down my groceries and feeling my heart sink with every news update, but that was the reality of that time.
But even with all the paranoia, I think those pandemic days showed us that there’s a better way to live — with less hustle and less chaos. My husband, who works a demanding job with lots of travel, was suddenly home all the time, and the way he bonded with our children was indescribable. So many other families experienced that too.
We spent our days making food from scratch, snuggling with our kids, and resting, and just being grateful for the gifts of life and health. It’s a privileged stance to take, I know: So many people were forced to go back to in-person work and didn’t have the slow, cozy experience I did.
I took so many lessons from the pandemic: The value of spending time doing nothing with the people I love. The fragility of life. The essential nature of unpaid labor. The importance of listening to experts…and the danger of failing to do so. It was a pivotal time in world history, and it forced us to reset on every level.
And while I don’t want to go back to the darkness and turmoil of it all, I do think back fondly to those early days. For me, and I imagine many of you, it felt like the forced pause I desperately needed.
Ask Clara:
"How did the pandemic change our behaviors?"
The Internet Has a New Favorite Single-Ingredient Protein Snack and I'm Here for It
I’ve never been a big fan of protein bars. To me, they’ve always tasted chalky and unnatural. And…well, they kind of are.
When you’re eating a protein bar, you’re eating something with lots of ingredients. I’m not someone who never eats processed food (what would life be without the occasional Oreo?), but I do often feel like eating a protein bar is basically like eating a (very filling, to be fair) candy bar...except it doesn’t actually taste all that good. And listen, if you love the taste of them, feel free to disagree here. Protein bars are great for the convenience, for travel days, for stashing at your desk when you don't have time for a full meal, etc. But I've just never found one I've really enjoyed.
Enter: The Internet’s new favorite “protein bar”, which is a single-ingredient snack the girlies on TikTok are loving.
The “bar” in question is actually not a bar at all, but a hunk of parmesan cheese. Online, people are calling this out as an easy, on-to-go, high-protein snack. Only unlike a protein bar, this is delicious and not chock full of a laundry list of ingredients.
Listen, as a cheese lover, I’m fully on board with this. I’d much rather chew on a piece of parm as opposed to any of the protein bars I’ve actually tried. Obviously, a hunk of parm isn’t nearly as portable for on-the-go snacking as a packaged bar, but it’s also...packaged food. Which is kind of the positive and the negative here, you know?
There’s definitely a time and place in which a protein bar is going to make sense (I will not be stashing a block of cheese in my car for snack emergencies, thank you very much), but if I’m home and want a filling snack? I’d much rather reach for my cheese drawer than a bar.
Registered dietician Anna Bohnengel co-signs that parm is a delicious snack option, albeit one she never considered as a protein bar replacement…but the Internet girlies get a few things right, says the expert.
“An ounce of parmesan provides about 10 grams of protein, and it’s definitely less processed than protein bars,” says Bohnengel.
“But it’s also calorie-dense and contains no fiber, so it may not be very satisfying on its own," she adds. “Pairing it with fruit or vegetables can make it a more balanced snack.”
Anyway, BRB. I’m off to make myself a snack plate of parm and berries. And sure, it’s the most convenient grab-and-go snack, but doesn’t that feel so much more luxurious and enjoyable than a protein bar?
Ask Clara:
"How much protein should I be eating?"
What Does it Really Mean to Age Gracefully in 2026?
Today is my 38th birthday. I don’t know when things shifted, but I’ve officially crossed over into the point of my life in which aging feels scary. It’s hard not to think about aging constantly, especially right now, when the beauty standards of youthfulness are so much more intense than they ever were before.
I want to be someone who ages gracefully. But in 2026, what does that even mean? Our image of what a 40-year-old woman “should” look like is so warped right now…but then, it always has been, hasn’t it?
Ten years ago, women over 30 were portrayed as ancient and invisible, as if their entire lives had passed her by. The only real representation of “middle aged women” we had was this sitcom-ified version of a suburban mom in a minivan. She wasn’t really a full person in many of these portrayals; she was a symbol and vessel. No dreams of her own, no agency, no personal style…it was like messages everywhere told us that once we hit a certain age, we should just retreat.
There have been some notable exceptions: One of my favorite comfort shows, Younger, is all about a 40-year-old woman who fully embraces her second act. She’s a main character, and she still has desire and ambition and fun. The show’s whole premise, though, is that she has to masquerade as a much younger woman in order to live this full life.
And then there’s one of my favorite books, The Idea of You, which is about an age gap relationship — come for the steamy scenes, stay for the beautiful commentary on what it is to age as a woman in a world that essentially tells us we become invisible once we hit a certain age.
All that to say? I want to age gracefully. I have never tried botox, filler, or plastic surgery (though I have started coloring my pesky grey hairs!), and for a while I thought that meant I was doing it — I was “aging gracefully”. This felt like a rebellious stance to take in a world that expects women to remain frozen in time. But today, one year older and reflecting on what it means to age as a woman, I realize it’s not about that at all.
Aging gracefully isn’t about refusing a little botox. It’s also not about refusing to let time do it’s thing to your outward appearance. It’s about living fully, even in a world that tells you to shrink yourself down or make yourself less.
TikTokers Are Eating Beans for Breakfast. Should You Try It?
Another day, another TikTok rabbit hole. And this one led me to the part of the app where people are obsessed with…well, beans. No, this isn't meant to signify something else. I’m literally just talking about beans. Black beans, navy beans, white beans, kidney beans…any type of bean you like.
It’s called “beantok” because of course it is, and it features people touting (no, not “tooting”, touting) beans for their ability to “make you hot”, according to a super viral TikTok. Creators are especially into beans for breakfast, and they’re sharing the bean-centric morning meals they’re concocting. Think: A pile of black beans topped off with avocado, a fried egg, and hot sauce. Or, if you prefer, a pile of sauteed beans plated with boiled eggs and whatever other breakfast fare you like.
But is there truly anything magical about eating beans, specifically for breakfast? Because honestly…beans are not high on the list of things I crave first thing in the morning (give me a bagel over a pile of kidney beans any day).
Is this Tiktok hack worth paying attention to…or is it just another example of wellness culture telling us to do something with zero grounding in fact and turning it into a huge fad?
According to registered dietician Anna Bohnengel, there’s something to the whole beantok thing.
“Starting your day with a mix of protein and fiber is one of the most reliable ways to stabilize blood sugar, hormones, and appetite. Research consistently shows that higher-fiber, higher-protein breakfasts reduce post-meal glucose spikes and improve satiety for hours afterward,” she says.
But why beans specifically?
“Beans provide a beneficial combo of protein, fiber, and micronutrients that all support both blood sugar control and gut microbiome health,” Bohnengel explains.
Breakfasts tend to be full of refined grains (cereal, oatmeal, toast, etc.), but even people who are eating protein and fiber-packed breakfasts (say, eggs and fruit) could benefit from a beans-for-breakfast situation. “Beans can still boost the soluble fiber for fueling beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome,” says the expert.
So there you have it. Beans for breakfast — it’s not only TikTok approved, but expert-approved as well.
Ask Clara:
"What are the benefits of eating beans?"