​The actress shared the picture above on her Instagram account and then she added a tag that you might know: @booksonthesubway. It’s basically an initiative to encourage reading. A group of people from the organization travel daily through New York subway stations leaving books that travelers can read on their trips, or even take home, with the only condition that when they’ve finished reading them, they need to return them to any subway station so that other passengers can do the same and enjoy a good read on their commute to work, for example.

​Katie Holmes takes the subway on a regular basis for her commute, just like anybody else. It’s actually not the first time she’s been caught on camera in the middle of a commute, either alone or with friends or family. In the picture we chose for this article she was traveling from midtown Manhattan to the suburbs, and she was enjoying her trip by reading some pages from Slouching Towards Bethlehem, a collection of essays written by American writer Joan Didion.

​The glamorous singer surprised all her fans by posting this photo on her Twitter, along with the caption “Festive moments @FreshAirFund Gala followed by a subway ride! Only in New York!”. That day, Mariah Carey had attended a charity gala organized by the Fresh Air Foundation and at the end of the event, when she was still dressed up in her gala dress and all, she decided to take a walk through the streets of Manhattan and then when she was done she just went home and she took the subway to get there.

​The actor who brought superhero, Bucky Barnes, to the big screen from Marvel’s Avengers saga was spotted riding the New York subway line 6 together with a friend. Upon realizing that a camera was capturing that curious moment, he started joking and making different faces for his impromptu paparazzi that was just as surprised to run into such a popular actor riding the subway.

​Thor actress Jaimie Alexander takes no issue in using public transport to get to where she has to go. This time, she was spotted commuting in the Manhattan subway while wearing bright red socks. In fact, she was even spotted taking a nap and with a pair of not very discreet flip-flop-like sandals. It seems like she couldn’t possibly be more comfortable and informal.

​This is how naturally and casually this great music star decided to get to one of his concerts in Russia. Even if Kravitz didn’t actually take the subway to commute, he did use a public transport train that goes from St. Petersburg to Moscow that many other people use every day to get to any of these 2 cities.

The famous actor and holder of an Oscar for best director for his work in A Beautiful Mind was spotted commuting very naturally on the New York subway. It was rush hour in the Soho area of Manhattan, and the train was completely packed, so he had to travel standing up, but he didn’t really seem to mind too much.

Bonus: Celebrities who have taken the subway because of their jobs

​The last actor, to date, to bring the maniacal Joker to the big screens shot several scenes of the movie in the subway, as you might remember. However, the pictures you see above were actually something different. It was his appearance in the Canadian subway as a result of his activism for animal rights and veganism. Joaquin came to the Toronto subway to show his support for a campaign from the organization Be Fair Be Vegan, which consisted of the installation of a series of images and awareness murals on the station walls.

​The stars of Ocean’s 8 also rode the New York City subway as part of the filming of some of the movie’s scenes, which were shot at the Church Avenue station in Brooklyn. This glamorous subway ride included stars like Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sandra Bullock, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Paulson.

​If you were a star, would you travel by public transport or only in private cars and limousines?

​As much as we try to not worry about what others think, sometimes we can’t help but be aware of judgment from other people. For someone exhibiting toxic perfectionism, this is dialed up to the max. They want others to view them as flawless and they want it to seem effortless to others.

Any issues or difficulties they may be going through are hidden to the outside world, and they make their lives seem idyllic and faultless.

​Their definition of perfect is determined by what other people deem to be perfect. They find themselves focusing on what people will say about their work, project, or goal, rather than the endeavor itself. They seek the approval of others and therefore their expectations are unbelievably high.

​They put an immense amount of pressure on themselves, making their fear of failure skyrocket to a point where it’s impossible to start something without seeing all the ways it may fail.

This causes them to be blocked due to their expectations of negative consequences, so they can sometimes avoid a project altogether.

​We learn from our mistakes, accepting there are things we can’t foresee. When problems arise we see it as an opportunity to learn and improve. An extreme perfectionist fears making a mistake, if they do, they do not forgive themselves for it. They criticize themselves for their error and stress over the outcome, causing them to feel inadequate.

​The voice inside of a perfectionist’s head is often very harsh and critical, which can constantly tell them they’re not good enough and verges on self-abuse. Dealing with critical people is often draining but when that person is ourself it can be extremely hard.

​They don’t acknowledge their wins or feel joy and satisfaction from completing their goal. They believe they could’ve done better, focus on the flaws, and spot a problem even when they’ve achieved their intended results.

​They are always striving for more. Perfection is unattainable, therefore, the work is never done and it’s never perfect.

They are battling with themselves over every decision, trying to top every idea, which takes up a lot of time and causes an immense amount of pressure.

​They can lash out when receiving constructive criticism or feedback. They filter out positive comments and praise and only hearing critical feedback intended to help improve their goal. This can make them feel attacked, which causes them to become defensive.

​We’re all capable of criticizing others, but a toxic perfectionist can tear others down to make themselves feel better and elevate themselves, which could cause colleagues and friends to avoid being around them.

Do you know of any other signs that show someone is a toxic perfectionist? Do you have any tips on helping someone quiet that inner voice?

​A man's face preserves its youthful appearance a lot longer than a woman's does. This is all down to the fact that a man's skin loses its concentration of collagen much slower as he ages, meaning it's much more resistant to wrinkling and sagging.

However, because men generally take less care of the skin on their face than women do, they're more susceptible to harmful external conditions which can reduce their natural advantages over women to zero.

​Yes, you read that right. Men also have glands that can produce milk. But its production represents an abnormality for the male body.

This can occur when too much of the hormone prolactin is produced. This might be the result of certain kinds of medical treatment used to stimulate the heart, problems with the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, use of opioids, or due to extreme hunger.

​It's pleasant to think that the genetic inclination to go bald is passed on exclusively by the mother's X chromosomes, but this is not entirely the case. There are other, no less important factors.

If a man's father is bald, then his chances of also losing his hair increase by 60%. The activity of male hormones also affects hair follicles in such a way that the body gradually loses its ability to produce new hair. Stress and a poor diet also significantly increase the risk of going bald.

​This might be very surprising to some, but 26% of men also experience PMS.

During these periods, a man becomes more sensitive, irritable, and hungry and can even experience stomach cramps. That is, he experiences exactly the same symptoms as a woman does.

​All human beings in the world began their existence as females. X and Y chromosomes are responsible for determining an individual's sex. If two X chromosomes join together during conception, a girl is produced; if X and Y chromosomes join together, a boy appears.

During the first 5-6 weeks, the Y chromosome is inactive. Until it begins to function, the embryo begins to develop into a girl.

​The male hormone testosterone makes men's skin thicker. It's around 25% thicker than women's skin.

However, over their lifetimes, men's skin becomes thinner, whereas with women it remains the same thickness until menopause.

​Have you ever wondered what the Adam's apple is for, and why men have larger ones than women? Women have only a small protrusion on their necks, made up of thyroid cartilage, the only purpose of which is to protect the vocal chords.

This thyroid cartilage is also responsible for the higher tone of people's voices. During a person's teenage years, its angle in relation to the annular cartilage changes, forming an Adam's apple and leading to the so-called "breaking" of a person's voice. This angle is smaller in men than in women, making the protrusion larger and their voices lower.

​Men can discern far fewer shades of color than women can, and the reason for this is really quite simple. Color perception is determined by retinal cone cells. The information about them is contained in the X chromosome, and because women have two X chromosomes, the number of cone cells they possess is, naturally, twice as high as that of men.

​If you've ever had a sty, you know the pain and irritation it causes. A lump on the eyelid appears due to a blocked sebaceous gland and usually goes away within a few days, but it may persist, causing serious inconveniences.

If a sty pops up often or persists for a long time, it can be a symptom of sebaceous gland carcinoma. If you notice that it doesn't heal or appears in the same place, it's time to visit a doctor.

​There are lots of reasons for eyebrow loss: aging, stress, or nutrient deficiency. Alopecia areata, or spot baldness, can be another reason, though it affects no more than 0.1% of the population.

A more plausible reason for eyebrow loss is hypothyroidism - an acute shortage of thyroid hormones that in extreme cases can lead to hair loss. So if your hair is thinning, it's better to visit your doctor and check the state of your thyroid gland.

​Many of us spend hours on computers at home or at work, which causes burning eyes or blurred vision. Nowadays this situation occurs so often that there's a special term in medical practice that describes vision problems connected with prolonged computer, cell phone, or e-book use: "digital eye strain" or "dry eye syndrome." If you recognize these symptoms, discuss with your doctor the ways to solve this problem.

​It's always frightening to notice a blind spot in your vision. This may pretty often point at migraine with aura, especially if the picture you get is accompanied by sparkling dots or wavy lines. Typically, blind spots go together with headaches.

If such symptoms sound even too familiar for you, call your doctor to learn what triggers the problem.

​We have all had times when our eyes seemed to betray us. We rub them or blink several times, and our vision seems to become clear again. But if you constantly feel some sort of expansion in your eyes, it can be a symptom of thyroid (or Graves) eye disease. It means your thyroid is overactive.

Difficulties closing the eyes is one of the symptoms which can make the eyes appear to bulge. It occurs in 30% of cases, so if you see something like that, call your doctor immediately.

​Every day we spend time looking in the mirror, so it's unlikely we can miss this problem.

Both adults and newborns with undeveloped liver function may face jaundice. It may also be connected with the state of a gallbladder or bile ducts. So if you see your whites becoming yellow, don't ignore it - rush to find the reason.

​People with diabetes have to pay special attention to their health, and vision is one of the things they keep tabs on. One such problem is diabetic retinopathy - a state caused by damage to blood vessels in the photosensitive retina tissue. It may be the reason of "cloudy" vision. This problem should be taken seriously: one should contact a specialist at the onset of symptoms.

​Any vision change is an alarm bell that requires an instant response. And if you notice your vision suddenly impaired, clouded, or even disappearing for a moment, seek medical help immediately because these symptoms are often the first signs of a stroke.

​Every woman is familiar with the situation of a man forgetting to buy certain foods or to take out the trash. There's a scientific explanation for this fact. In 2015, Liana Palermo offered 100 men and women different tasks to test their memory with an interval lasting from two minutes to one day. As it turned out, women are better at remembering tasks for the future, whereas the completed tasks are forgotten as they are in men.

• Liana says, "In addition to their basic work, women have a lot of household chores and they have to keep a lot of information in mind. That's how their memory gets trained."

American sexologists stated that the healthier a man is, the stronger his odor is when attracting women. A woman can sense a man's presence even in a perfume store where a dozen other women have just sprayed perfume on their wrists. Besides, a female's sense of smell can even identify a man's immunity. She just needs 3 seconds to do it!

• Scientists from the University of British Columbia concluded that a partner's odor calms a woman down. It's no surprise that a woman being far from her partner will sometimes wear his T-shirt to feel closer to him.

Regardless of what provokes love - the brain, heart, or hormones - men usually fall in love much faster than women. Some research showed that more than 25% of men fell in love between the 1st and 4th dates, while only 15% of women reached the same result.

• In doing so, many women confessed that even after 20 dates they couldn't quite feel the butterflies in their stomach for men anymore. They needed a bit more time. After learning this, female insistence and selectiveness are quite understandable.

Canadian researchers from Toronto found out that toxicosis during pregnancy contributes to a healthy development of a fetus. Morning sickness and headaches are both a result of the defense mechanism that protects a fetus from harmful toxins. Thus, these unpleasant symptoms are actually good for a woman's health.

• Women suffering from morning sickness often carry and give birth to healthy babies, and are much less prone to miscarry. Besides, toxicosis can have a positive impact on a baby's intelligence. However, the symptoms like hyperemesis (excessive vomiting) and severe stomach pains are not as healthy. In cases such as these, you should immediately visit your doctor.

British psychologist, Satoshi Kanazawa has calculated that a woman's desire to have children decreases by 25% for every 15 extra IQ points she has. He concluded that humanity is generally becoming sillier because intelligent women don't want to have babies or give birth to just one. They prioritize self-education, self-development, career, and travel.

• Kanazawa thinks that due to this reason, men often choose to marry women with more traditional values.

​6. The more children a woman has, the faster she ages.

Researchers from the George Mason University in the U.S. found out that women who gave birth to children have shorter telomeres than those who didn't. This means that the parts of chromosomes responsible for DNA protection get smaller with age. More than 2,000 women of different ages took part in the study, and it turned out that the more babies a woman has, the shorter her telomeres become.

• However, this can be caused by different reasons like stress, for example. "We don't persuade you not to have babies," researchers claim. "It is likely that women with shorter telomeres can give birth to more children in the first place."

Adam Pazda from the Slovak Academy of Sciences took conducted an unusual experiment. He asked men and women to look at photos of women and express their opinions about them. Some women in the photos were dressed in red while rest wore other colors. The experiment showed that women actively respond to women wearing red clothes, seeing them as a threat to their relationship.

• Both men and women considered ladies in red dresses to be uninhibited and carefree. Women also mentioned that they wouldn't want their men to communicate with such ladies like those in the photos.

Do you agree with these scientists or would you strongly object to certain facts? Share your opinion with us in the comments.

​With just one tablet, we can improve our health! This is actually not the case. Vitamins only regulate processes in our bodies, and we should be careful about taking them in tablet form since an excessive amount of them can do more harm than good.

​Blood that lacks oxygen, which is pumped through the veins toward the heart, is definitely not blue - it's a dark red color. In school textbooks it's colored blue to emphasize the contrast with oxygenated blood. The veins you can see through your skin seem blue because the light shining on them gets refracted.

​In fact, white and brown sugar are the same thing. They differ in terms of the use of molasses, which gives a product a darkish color. Brown sugar is often mistakenly considered healthier because it's not as sweet as white sugar, on account of the larger amount of water the former contains.

​A large amount of alcohol affects metabolic processes in the body and can lead to a deficit of oxygen. This can harm the connections between brain cells, but it does nothing to the cells themselves.

​Sugar doesn't make children hyperactive - this is nothing more than a myth. Sugar means calories, and calories mean energy. So when some children eat a lot of sweet things, the energy just flows out of them. But remember that, most of all, sugar is harmful to their teeth.

​The supposed fact that nerve cells can't regenerate is not a fact. The death of nerve cells is a constant and entirely natural process. New ones appear in various different parts of the brain. When a person feels stressed, it is the chemicals that make these cells function and interact with each other, rather than the actual nerve cells, which are used up.

​It's true that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for certain functions and the right for others. But scientists have yet to find people who have one side that's more developed than the other. The point is that several parts of the brain function as the collective source of our creativity, and they're located in both the right and left hemispheres.

​Everyone knows that we should sleep for eight hours a night. Yet different people need different amounts of sleep, and both an excess and a lack of sleep can have negative effects on our health. For some people, it's enough to sleep for six hours in order to feel great, whilst others feel exhausted even after they've been in bed for nine hours.

​Antibiotics only kill bacteria. Influenza is caused by viruses that don't react to antibiotics. In this case, it's like applying a Band-Aid to get rid of a headache: it just won't work.

​Scientists once carried out an experiment: they gave dozens of people bars that contained ten times more chocolate than normal. When they compared the number of blackheads these people had before and after the experiment, they found no differences. It might sound strange, but it's true.

​In 2009, a book came out about the results of an experiment in which laboratory mice were fed large amounts of sugar over several days. Once they'd experienced this diet, they couldn't live without the stuff. However, when the experiment was repeated with human beings, the same effect did not occur. And, of course, human beings can't survive on sugar alone.

Pour 2 liters of water into a large pot, and bring it to a boil. Take three lemons, and squeeze out the juice. Mix one tablespoon of salt in hot water. Add the lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of washing powder. Let your clothes soak for about 40 minutes, then rinse in clear water two to three times. Hang dry.

Bear in mind: 

This recipe is also a great way to get rid of sweat stains on armpit areas or collars.

Pour a tablespoon (0.35 oz) of baking soda directly onto the stained area. Cut a lemon in half, and rub the cut side over the stain. Leave for 15 minutes, then wash as usual with warm water.

Note:

This method is often used for removing yellow underarm stains from white shirts. You can also make a paste of baking soda and lemon juice, and then rub it on the affected area to clean the stain.

Slice two lemons, and add them to a bowl of boiled water (approximately 1 quart). Put your white clothes into the bowl, and let them soak for about 40 minutes.  After soaking, wash as usual in the washing machine.

A useful tip:

Lemon makes a great all-purpose cleaner for your favorite clothes, and it doesn't damage the fabrics.

Mix 1/4 cup of laundry detergent with 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and add it to 2 quarts of warm water. Soak clothing in the resulting solution for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Remember please:

To maintain the quality of your clothes, it is necessary that you choose your laundry detergent carefully. This recipe is suitable for washing wool and other delicate fabrics.

Add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 4 drops of ammonia to a quart of water. Let your clothing soak in this solution for 10 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly.

Take note:

This solution is stronger than the others and, therefore, more effective. Don't forget to wear gloves when using it.

Soak your clothing for 40 minutes in a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) of vinegar. If you'd like to get rid of sweat stains, pour vinegar onto the stained area and rub a piece of soap over it.

Take note:

Vinegar not only whitens clothes, but also works as a natural fabric softener.

Put the bedding into a bucket of sour milk, and let it soak for 1-2 hours. Then wash as usual. You can repeat the soaking if necessary.

A little trick:

This technique not only helps your bedding last longer, but also makes it more soft, supple, and pleasant to the skin.

​What important lessons have your children taught you? Which ones do you think you taught your parents at one point?

1. Giving up gluten will heal your gut.

​There is absolutely no reliable evidence or confirmation that our digestion or gut health will improve when we cut gluten from our diets. So if you don’t suffer from celiac disease, which is a severe gluten intolerance, or any other non-celiac gluten sensitivity, then there’s no need to eliminate gluten. And celiac disease is not very common. In different parts of the world approximately 0.5%-1% of people have it and it’s usually diagnosed at a very young age.

Besides, along with eliminating gluten you will very likely consume much less fiber and that can cause more problems with your digestion.

​Gluten itself has nothing to do with your weight. Whether you lose weight or gain it depends on the quality and quantity of the food you eat, and your lifestyle. If you don’t control your portion sizes and the calories in your gluten-free products and you don’t consume enough fiber, you run the risk of gaining weight.

​Gluten-free foods cost more than regular foods and aren’t any healthier. Some studies show that if you don’t have celiac disease, going gluten-free can be even less healthy than following a regular diet. Many gluten-free foods, like gluten-free pastries, breads, and chickpea pasta contain more sugar, salt, saturated fats, and calories than regular items. There is also a lower amount of fiber and protein in them. At the same time, foods with gluten have important nutrients for your health. Bread, for example, has folate, fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, and more.

​Some say that they experience increased energy levels after eliminating gluten. This may happen when the individual is consuming more fruits and vegetables, rather than high-calorie and high-fat processed foods. It’s only a healthy, well-balanced diet that gives you more energy, no matter whether you consume gluten or not. There are no studies confirming that eliminating gluten leads to increased energy levels.

​Gluten is a protein and all humans can digest it. We can’t break it down completely, but this is not improper digestion, that’s just the way we digest it. Lots of foods get only partially broken down. Gluten has been consumed by humans and other animals for millennia and is perfectly healthy for most of us. The argument that cavemen weren’t eating gluten is not very convincing. Cavemen weren’t eating many things we eat nowadays, and that doesn’t mean our bodies can’t handle them.

​Your body should guide you. A gluten-free diet is not a naturally healthier diet for most of people. If you give up gluten-containing processed foods and replace them with gluten-free processed foods, it won’t make you feel better or healthier. But giving up many of the processed foods that contain gluten will help your health a lot. And of course, not because of the gluten in it, but because you’re giving up processed foods.

​There’s no evidence that gluten does this. Gluten has never been linked to cancer in any studies, while lots of other foods have. The only exception is for people with celiac disease. On the contrary, you should be very cautious when cutting out gluten because foods with gluten, like whole grains, contain vitamins and minerals that help protect you against cancer.

​Absolutely not. A lot of foods high in carbs, like potatoes, rice, corn, pumpkin, bananas, beans, peas, lentils, and many others don’t have any gluten in them. So if you still eat them on your gluten-free diet, you still consume a lot of carbs.

And what’s your opinion about gluten? Are you for or against it? Tell us about it in the comments.

​Many people believe high levels of cholesterol are connected with what you eat. If you want to live a long and happy life, you need to eat vegetables and fruit and get plenty of exercise - or so goes the common belief.

But sometimes high cholesterol levels actually depend not on our lifestyle but on our genes. About 1 in every 500 people has a special genetic mutation which leads to an accumulation of cholesterol in their blood. These people will have high levels of this substance even if they eat nothing but vegetables.

​One of the genes that plays a role in baldness is located in the X chromosome. Men inherit it from their mothers. But don't rush to blame her for your thinning hairline - there are other genes that play a role here, including ones inherited from the father. Moreover, environmental factors also have an effect on hair loss.

​When a mom scolds her child for getting a D at school, and she points out that she did much better in her studies, in one sense she really has a point. Academic success is 55% dependent on your genetic inheritance. Thousands of genes are directly responsible for how well you perform in school. So if your parents demonstrated outstanding abilities during their school days, you've got great potential.

​Do you drink a lot of coffee? Well, your genes are entirely to blame! Scientists conducted a comparative study of people who can't live without coffee and those who can. It turned out that the second group had a particular set of genes which meant they absorbed caffeine more slowly. This meant that they didn't feel a particular need to drink it on a regular basis in order to get a rush of energy.

​Type 2 diabetes usually develops among older people. But sometimes it occurs in children and adolescents with an active lifestyle. This is known as maturity-onset diabetes of the young, and it appears as a result of a genetic mutation, although a poor diet can also play a role.

​The inability to differentiate between certain colors is often something that a person inherits through their genes. The gene which produces it is often inherited by sons from their mothers. For the most part, it's men who suffer from color blindness. This is due to the fact that within their genetic makeup, the defect of the single maternal X chromosome is not compensated for, whereas women have an "emergency" X chromosome from their fathers.

​It might sound surprising, but 65% of adults have a lowered ability to digest lactose, or milk sugar. One particular gene is responsible for this. When a child is still very young and he needs milk to survive, the body creates an enzyme for digesting lactose. As that person gets older, however, their ability to absorb dairy products falls. Only a fraction of people have the gene for lactose tolerance, meaning that they can digest milk effectively without any problems at any age.

​What many of us have long suspected has been confirmed by scientists: not everyone has the innate ability to drive a car. You can learn all the rules of the road and pass your driving test, but if you have special genes that affect your ability to orientate yourself, the speed of your reactions, or your memory, then getting behind the wheel may still turn out to be a bad idea. You're more likely to get distracted while driving and are therefore at greater risk of being in an accident. Scientists believe these genes are in as much as 30% of the population.

​The likelihood that a person has or will develop shortsightedness is inherited. If both parents have this problem, then the risk of the child developing it is around 50%.

However, scientists believe that we can't ascribe absolutely everything here to genetics. Those who spend less time sitting in front of a computer and avoid straining their eyes are far less likely to suffer from shortsightedness.

​It might sound unbelievable, but the secret of a person's popularity is hidden in their genes. Harvard scientists reached this conclusion after long years of painstaking research. They believe that at the dawn of humankind's existence, those who possessed valuable information about food sources or danger were at the center of a given social group's attention. These people passed on their genes to their descendants. The people who inherited these genes are those who are popular among their peers and who people often want to be friends with. How did this come to pass? Perhaps future research will make this clearer.