October 31, 2018 at 01:24PM Gas is like the common cold of gut afflictions: It’s pretty much impossible to avoid if you’re a human. And since it’s so ubiqutious, it can feel kind of embarrassing if you’re hit with a particularly severe case—you know, the kind that results in can’t-move, can’t-breathe, can’t-speak-in-full-sentences pain—and you end up in the emergency room, assuming it’s something way more serious. Well, doctors want you to know two things. First of all, you’re definitely not alone. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons why people show up in the ER. “In our department, we’ll probably see 30 or 40 of these cases a day,” says Mark Morocco, MD, an emergency doctor at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. “But it will be the same at any hospital, whether it’s a trauma center or a small-town ER.” The other thing they want to stress is that you likely made the right call by getting medical attention stat. “There can be some very serious diagnoses that have a similar presentation as gas pain,” says Reed Caldwell, MD, assistant professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health. “In the physician’s mind, gas pain is a diagnosis of exclusion. For serious pain in your abdomen, we think about many other things before we arrive at gas pain.” According to the U.S. Department of Health
Month: October 2018
7 lesser-known wellness products you can grab from Brandless on the cheap
October 31, 2018 at 12:37PM Brandless first started making waves across the internet last year for its no-BS approach of selling essentials—from healthy pantry finds to clean beauty products—for as little as $3 a product, and the hype hasn’t died down since. While there are plenty of affordable items to shop on the company’s website, it’s easy to forget about some total must-haves within all those minimalist items. While everyone knows about the main steals—like its organic virgin coconut oil (which is drastically lower than all those $15+ options out there!) and health-friendly, non-toxic cleaning supplies—Brandless has some other items that can save you big bucks, too. Whether you’re looking to stock your bathroom or supplement cabinet, make sure to check out some of these products the next time you’re filling up your virtual shopping cart. Shop these 7 items the next time you’re stocking up with Brandless. 1. Greens & antioxidant blend, $3 Photo: Brandless Brandless has a whole collection of vitamins and supplements, and one of the most impressive? A vegan blend of antioxidants and enzymes that packs in spirulina, green leaf, broccoli, cranberry, and other superfoods. 2. Cardboard applicator tampons, $3 Photo: Brandless Better-for-you tampons don’t come cheap, and Brandless sells 10-packs of both regular and super-absorbency options for just $3. Just like some of your pricier faves, they’re 100 percent organic cotton and made without dyes, fragrance, chlorine, and rayon. You’re welcome, vagina. 3. Calm & focus support, $3 Photo: Brandless Another must-buy in the supplement department is Brandless’ stress-relieving
Here’s how buying in to fast fashion affects our brains—not just our budgets
October 31, 2018 at 12:15PM On the scale of addictive behaviors, Carrie Bradshaw’s shoe collection and Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series make obsessive shopping seem about as bad of a habit as ordering oat milk lattes every morning (guilty)—but in reality, it’s a serious affliction that affects one in 20 Americans. The group most likely to develop a shopping dependency? Young women, psychologists at the University of Bergen have found. That’s because addictive shopping behavior typically starts in late adolescence and early adulthood—just when cheap clothing is within financial reach. In the past, most people outgrew their overspending habits as their maturing personal style priced them out of such options. But thanks in big part to the rise of fast fashion, cheap clothing isn’t just for the the young—it’s now for everyone. What that means is that, in addition to millennial and Gen Z women, an increased number of people now see shopping as an accessible way to cope with their feelings around anxiety and depression—or a means of keeping up with the Instagram Joneses: According to the Bergen researchers, extroverted people (think the #OOTD types) face an increased risk of developing disordered shopping habits, too. And like exercise, drugs, or any other form of obsessive behavior, its downsides are decidedly more serious than figuring out how to fit everything in your closet. A compulsion to shop can lead to consequences ranging from guilt to stress to bankruptcy—and fast fashion’s biggest consumers are among the most susceptible. “Those who become hooked
Physical face exfoliants aren’t the enemy—so long as you use them properly
October 31, 2018 at 12:06PM Growing up, I would always grab a ubiquitous facial scrub at the drugstore (which will not be named, but I’m sure you can guess what it is), and go at it on my face, thinking that I was giving my skin just what it needed. It wasn’t until about a decade later that a lawsuit happened and I realized I was rubbing microbeads all over my face in the name of exfoliation, actually doing more harm than good. This is probably why physical exfoliants have gotten a bad rap. Use the wrong one and you can make micro-tears on the surface of your skin (not to mention it’ll just feel like you’re taking sandpaper to your face). With the rise in popularity (and accessibility) of chemical exfoliants, there’s not even really a need to use a facial scrub anyways. Alas, in an act of beauty research, I found a Reddit skin-care subthread of a skin-care devotee declaring their love for physical exfoliants. “Physical exfoliation isn’t the devil!” the Redditor (so daringly) states. “There is no need to bash someone who simply prefers to physically exfoliate their skin over chemically exfoliating it. For me, physically exfoliating makes my skin feel a lot cleaner and like I actually cleansed my pores.” They’re not wrong—there’s no reason not to physically exfoliate, if that’s your preferred method of ridding yourself of dead skin cells. “Yes, physical exfoliants are fine for your skin,” says Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder
It turns out you can eat *all* parts of squash—skin included
October 31, 2018 at 12:04PM There are so many different ways to eat squash. You can turn it into fries, devour it as a low-carb spaghetti, transform it into healthy vegan doughnuts (yes, seriously)…you name it. But if you’re only eating the inside, you’re seriously missing out: It turns out the entire squash—skin and all!—is totally edible. And that includes pumpkins, so think twice before tossing your decorative jack-o’-lantern. It might seem strange to eat the skin of a squash after going, oh, your entire life without even realizing doing so is a possibility. But if you rethink the norm, you’ll be able to take in some pretty impressive health benefits beyond what’s just in the fleshy pulp. “The entire squash is an edible vegetable. In fact, most veggies are meant to be eaten as a whole, despite what we may have been taught growing up,” New York City–based nutritionist Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, tells me. “The entire squash, flesh and skin included, has myriad health benefits ranging from fiber to vitamin A, C, and E. Squash is especially high in vitamin A, which can help support good eye health, may protect your vision and has anti-cancer effects as well.” Squash is also relatively low on the glycemic index scale, which means you can enjoy it without it wreaking havoc on your glucose and insulin levels. The entire squash is an edible vegetable. In fact, most veggies are meant to be eaten as a whole, despite what we may have been taught growing up.” —Tracy
Finally, validation that people who drink black coffee are psychopaths
October 31, 2018 at 11:20AM Everyone has an asinine hill that they’ll die on and mine is this—I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone voluntarily drinks black coffee. I’ve never felt such a strong sensation of anger and disappointment as when I awoke to a fresh pot at a friend’s apartment with no milk or mylk and sugar in sight. And I hate to say I told you so, but here we are. As I’m lapping up my vindication, I present to you without further question, proof that there’s just something off about people who don’t add anything to their cup-of-Joe. Published in a journal called Appetite, the researchers asked 1,000 adults about their food preferences and also administered personality tests that help identify narcissism, psychopathy, aggression, and more. And surprise surprise, people who like bitter foods (such as black coffee) were more likely to exhibit not only psychopathy but also sadism. The study did not also identify these people as masochists but in my very scientific assessment, that undoubtedly has to be part of this. Case in point: Anyone who advocates for this needlessly joyless drink will tell you that there’s an adjustment period before you can really stomach the stuff, which I think should raise all of the red flags. And sure, maybe previously people with certain dietary restrictions or dairy allergies, who needed the caffeine perk, didn’t have many options. But it’s 2018 and you can have milk, almond milk, oat milk, pea milk—even banana milk. There is no shortage of
Halloween, schmalloween: Let’s make witchiness a year-round thing
October 31, 2018 at 11:19AM No matter what costume you’re wearing for Halloween this year, there’s a good chance you’re feeling witchier than ever. Seriously, no need to rock a Wicked-style green face and belt “Defying Gravity” to be a part of the covenly vibe on the rise. To be clear, by “witches,” I mean the archetype seen in culture—not necessarily real modern-day witches, as in those who practice magick with a “k.” Rather, I mean witchiness that can be seen as a signal of collective female power. Basically, it’s a little bit good-witch Glinda, a little bit greek-goddess Gaia—and it’s showing up more and more in our cultural consciousness. Witchiness that can be seen as a signal of collective female power is on the rise and is about to become a year-round obsession. Think: Sage-scented women’s circles and for-ladies-only coworking spaces (the Wing even refers to itself as a coven) mixed with a healthy dose of plant-based elixirs, crystals, intention-setting, and an interest in all things lunar. And some politically minded and enthusiastically witchy women have even been casting spells since last year to try to influence policy. As the pre-midterm election fervor heats up, the defiant, go-for-broke vibe in my social feed can be summed up by this Super Spiritual Instagram post: “Cauldron fire: lit. Spell: cast. Titties: out.” Essentially, witchiness is hardly a Halloween thing anymore—it is a year-round obsession. Helping that along is popular culture, whether it’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, the Charmed reboot on CW, the return of the Coven
5 ways to tame body shame everyone can start doing right now
October 31, 2018 at 11:17AM Talking about womanhood without the topic of shame arising is about as possible as talking about women’s sports without mentioning the whopping wage gap female athletes face. It just can’t be done because so many “messages of shame are organized around gender,” as shame and vulnerability scholar Brené Brown once told The Atlantic. So it comes as no surprise that the topic became a focus of conversation at the most recent Well+Good TALK on all things body diversity at The Assemblage in New York City. The event was sponsored by Aerie and gathered a panel of badass women—self-love guru Nitika Chopra, Aerie Real model and body activist Iskra Lawrence, and self-described curvy-fashion blogger Chastity Garner Valentine—to discuss ideas of self-love, acceptance, ageism, and inclusivity. But it was clear early in the conversation that shame played a role in each of these areas and was a subject the panelists felt personally about. “As someone who got told that they didn’t fit into the straight size industry, and…[that] I wasn’t big enough for the plus size industry—no one ever allowed me to fit in,” Lawrence shared. “No one ever said, yeah, we accept you just the way you are. I had to force the industry to try to accept me.” Part of that process included learning to tame shame, which, by definition, means pain caused by the consciousness of a perceived shortcoming. And according to Erika Groban, PhD, a clinical psychologist at a private practice in Rye, New York, Lawrence’s experience in the modeling
This massaging device is so good, I tossed my foam roller
October 31, 2018 at 10:32AM It’s marathon season and my tiny apartment has little storage. Those two things shouldn’t have a ton to do with one another, but in a twist of fate, they’ve led to the best party trick (and best recovery season) I’ve ever known. Nowadays, to the left of my couch sits a contraption that looks equal parts futuristic and functional: The Theragun. Anytime someone new comes over, they ask with stars in their eyes: “What is that?” “It replaced foam rolling for me,” I tell them—and in an instant everyone wants to try. I switch it on and just like that, people are impressed. Unlike some wellness experiences, you’ll never be confused on whether or not the Theragun is working. This is both because it’s quite loud (it sounds a bit like a drill being used) and because it brings instant relief to sore, tight muscles with long-lasting benefits. Where I find it more difficult to isolate trigger points with a foam roller, the Theragun makes it way easy to get into every nook and cranny. Where I hate hovering above a cylinder and moving back-and-forth, I can just chill on my couch with the TG as I’ve affectionately named it. “Vibrational therapy can help with pain, muscle soreness or tightness, and recovery. It can be an inexpensive alternative to massage to help maintain performance by working out trigger points and knots and preventing the build up of lactic acid in the muscles,” says Michigan-based physical therapist
How to deal with secondhand trauma when terrible things happen in the world
October 31, 2018 at 09:27AM How to deal with the secondhand trauma you feel when terrible things happen in the worldLately—okay, for the past several years—I’ve found myself emotionally armoring up before opening my news app in the morning. What’s it gonna be today: Another horrific mass shooting, like the one that took place in a Pittsburgh synagogue last weekend? A new public policy taking rights away from immigrants, transgender people, or other already-marginalized members of society? More gut-wrenching stories of sexual assault, à la the one Christine Blasey Ford told in front of Congress last month? And those are just some recent examples that took place in this country. Have you heard about what’s going on in Yemen lately? Yet even when I brace myself for the worst, I still often get weepy while scrolling through the headlines or my social feeds. (Today’s tear trigger: This illustration by artist Nikkolas Smith, memorializing the 11 victims of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting.) If you relate, know that you’re not alone in grieving tragic events in the news that don’t directly affect you. Psychotherapist Alison Stone, LCSW, for one, sees it all the time among her patients following tragic events in the world. “People report feeling a mix of emotions, but primarily a combination of anger, sadness, guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness,” she says. “Another common thing my patients report is feeling extra emotionally raw; that their threshold for coping with seemingly ordinary challenges appears lower than usual.” “We, as a culture,