9 Things You Didn't Know About Jamie Anderson, First EVER Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Gold-Medalist

Get to know the new golden girl

Jamie Anderson, 23, won the first-ever women's snowboard slopestyle gold medal Sunday with a near flawless run. Here's what she's like when she's not on her board:

I'm from Lake Tahoe, California… Right at the base of Sierra Tahoe, my home mountain. I have five sisters and two brothers and we all were homeschooled. We spent almost every day on the mountain, exploring, then doing our schoolwork at night—it was so much fun. 

Snowboarding was so challenging at first… I got on and could hardly snowboard. I just remember pretty quickly falling in love with it; within the first week I was like, "Alright, this is actually really fun. I think I love it." 

Yoga has been so helpful… Snowboarding is such a mental game. To be able to slow down and take some time to feel the body and go ride is such a good thing. Yoga has made a huge difference in my life, slowing down and connecting the mind and the body and the spirit. (Related: 6 Ways to Improve Your Yoga Practice)

Practice is key... It took me a long time to get into yoga. It wasn't until about two summers ago when they were doing free yoga on the beach every day that I started going regularly. After a week or two I was like, "I don't want to start my day with anything else but yoga." (Related: 7 Common Beginner Yoga Fails--And How to Avoid Them)

I have had a really hard time with meditating at different phases of my life—just slowing down and clearing the mind and really taking a moment. I did a 21-day meditation challenge online with this beautiful couple. They walked you through healing sound meditations with Sanskrit. They're all under 20 minutes, so I would try to dedicate my morning or evening to do that. If you're just getting into it and trying to create those new habits, it's good to have a little guidance. (Related: 7 Must-Know Facts About Meditation)

I grew up in a pretty conscious house... But being a teenager, I didn't really care so much. As I started to get older and connect with different friends and get into yoga, I began to care a lot more about the products I was supporting and what I was buying. (Related: 3 Eco-Friendly Labels Decoded)

Less is better for me… I try to keep everything pretty organic. I don't really buy lotions anymore—I use all natural coconut oil-based lotions or make my own. You can really use any oil, whatever you want. In the winter, sometimes I'll use sesame oil because it's warming, while coconut oil is better for summertime. I put it in a little jar with different essential oils; it's a nice moisturizer—scented, clean, nothing added. 

I drink a ton of water… That helps when dealing with the elements. It's so easy to get dehydrated up in the mountains, and that's where dry skin and chapped lips come into play. (Related: 10 Ways to Drink More Water)

We are what we eat… I think some of the best advice my mom gave me was, "Don't ever worry about spending too much money on food or body work because it's priceless." Your body is your racecar, give it the best you can in everything—choosing local organic, growing your own food, just doing what you can. 

More from Women's Health:
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10 Next-Level Training Tips from Team USA Athletes

 

Ask Women's Health: Tampon Safety, Calories, and LinkedIn Etiquette

Answers to your most pressing questions, straight from the experts

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I'm hungrier on days I exercise—how do I make sure I burn more than I eat?—Lilli, DeWitt, IA.
You should feel hungrier on those days—and eat more, too, says Marni Sumbal, R.D., an exercise physiologist and owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition in Jacksonville, Florida. The key to managing your food intake is to eat an additional snack before and after your workout, so you're fueling up when your body needs it most.

For example, before an hour-long run, Sumbal suggests a 100- to 200-calorie snack mixing five to 15 grams of protein and 30 to 40 grams of carbs (like a small banana with half a tablespoon of peanut butter); a post-workout snack should include about 10 to 15 grams of protein and 20 to 30 grams of carbs (try three ounces of yogurt and a piece of fruit). By timing your extra snacks around your workout, you can satisfy your hunger and get leaner, says Sumbal.

Is it dangerous to leave a tampon in overnight?—Jacquie, Evanston, WY
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a potentially fatal bacterial infection that has long been linked with leaving a tampon in for too long, used to scare the bejesus out of women. But the last major group of cases was in the early 1980s—and many physicians believe the outbreak was more likely due to a different type of bacterial strain common at the time, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D.

These days, the chances of getting TSS from a tampon are very minimal, Minkin says, and you can safely wear one overnight—so sleeping with a tampon in place isn't a worry. If you do, though, Minkin recommends wearing a pad for at least four hours over the course of the next day to prevent dryness and promote overall vaginal health.

Should you accept requests on LinkedIn from people you don't know personally?—Evelyn, North Liberty, IN
Not immediately, says Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert, who explains that there are no career benefits to accepting requests that aren't valuable to you in some way.

Instead, scan their profile to see if you have anything in common. "If they seem like they could potentially be a good professional contact, go ahead and accept. They may end up being able to help you in the future," says Williams. (And you can always dump them later.) But if the person has nonprofessional reasons (or you can't think of a reason for needing them in your circle), feel free to decline the request.