When it comes to one of the key differences between men and women, a popular meme describes it perfectly, “Men, if you ever want to know what a woman’s mind feels like, imagine a browser with 2 857 tabs open, all the time.”
While it’s no secret that women are pros at multitasking and solving problems, there are a few instances where a little helping hand is needed - and it typically has to do with bras, cars and food.
We spoke to three experts who shed some light on how to fix these problems, once and for all.
Bras are like jeans
Choose the bra style that compliments your body best. “Shopping for a new bra? Women should consider that bras are much like jeans,” says Sarah Swainson, managing director of Sarah Elizabeth Bra and Lingerie Specialists.
Different styles of jeans work and compliment different body shapes – which is the same with bras. “A common mistake most women make is to go up in the band size (at the back) to get a bigger cup size,” she says.
“But this often results in an uncomfortable bra that fails to offer the right support.
Here are Sarah’s top five tips when bra shopping:
- Always choose the right cup size.
- The back band should provide ample support and sit snuggly around your body.
- The underwire should sit flush against the chest and not poke out underneath your arms.
- Straps should be adjusted to offer support without digging into your shoulders. Adjust the straps so that you can still easily slip two fingers underneath.
- Invest in a good sports bra. Breast tissue is connective tissue, which needs to be protected during exercise.
Cars need adjusting
Adjust your car settings to support your weight and height. “Whilst car safety features continue to improve, the position the driver takes inside the cabin is important,” says Angelique Lynch, AutoTrader marketing director.
A many women get into the driver’s seat without adjusting the settings. “A car’s settings should support the driver’s unique height and weight, as this simple step could potentially save a life,” says Angelique.
Women often sit too close to the steering wheel, whereas men tend to sit too low. This is usually because women are shorter than men, on average. As a general rule women should follow these five safety strategies when driving:
- When sitting in the driver’s seat, make sure there’s at least one hand length of space between your head and the top of the roof.
- When sitting behind the steering wheel, your legs shouldn’t be fully extended. Move your seat forward or backwards with the seat adjuster until your legs are slightly bent.
- Steering wheels are (mostly) adjustable for reach. When sitting upright, extend one arm forward and adjust the steering wheel until your wrist is touching. You shouldn’t be closer than 27cm to an airbag.
- The seat headrest is designed to help with whiplash in the event of an accident. Therefore, always make sure the top of the headrest is above your ears.
- Seatbelts should never be across your neck, only across your chest.
Become picky with portions
A Harvard Health report states that distorted portion sizes are one of the biggest contributors to the rise in obesity rates in the US. In South Africa, statistics show that up to 70 percent of women are classified as overweight or obese.
“Most South Africans consume less fruits and vegetables and more fat and sugar- containing foods,” says Deputy Minister Of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla. The good news is, reducing portion sizes and filling your plate with the “right stuff” rather than the “wrong stuff” can go a long way towards whittling your waistline.
Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate points out that a perfect plate of food should look like:
- ½ your plate should be made up of vegetables and fruit (the higher the fibre content, the better).
- ¼ of your plate should be filled with whole grains including oats, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and millet.
- ¼ of your plate should include lean protein such as fish and chicken, as well as vegetable sources of protein including beans and nuts. (red meat and processed meat such as bacon should be limited).
- Healthy plant oils should be eaten in moderation. These include avocado, olive, canola, sunflower oils.