October 01, 2018 at 01:42PM If Nina Dobrev has 25 minutes between takes to squeeze in a workout, you’d better believe she’s throwing herself a dance party. “I dance a lot,” she tells me at an event in NYC last week. “To me, it’s the most fun, because you’re burning a lot of calories and you’re moving, but you’re almost tricking yourself. You end up working out every single muscle in your body, but it doesn’t feel like you’re working out. I like doing things that are fun—I don’t want it to feel like a chore.” For Dobrev, not only is the actual movement part of a DIY dance party appealing, but it’s also a great way to turn a sweat sesh into a double-duty excuse to hang out with friends and do something they all love. “I’ll plan a workout every day with somebody different and end up having fun and talking and catching up with people,” she says. “Time flies when you’re with friends, you don’t feel like you’re working out. You feel like you’re having fun and living life.” As part of her latest partnership with Reebok and Les Mills, Dobrev worked with Les Mills to come up with “BODYJAM,” a free, 40-minute dance-based workout that you can do anywhere—whether you’re hanging out at home or in a Hollywood trailer like she is. “It’s high-intensity, a lot of sweat, a lot of fun—the songs are catchy and cool,” she says. “We really tried to break down every move so that a dancer or non-dancer of any
Day: October 1, 2018
Pinterest searches for ‘Aquaponic’ gardening are up 1000%, but what on earth is it?
October 01, 2018 at 12:46PM When prompted, most proud plant ladies will call aloe vera, rattlesnake plants, and marimosa moss balls their pets. And yet, to take that sentiment one step further, a new indoor foliage trend combines actual pets (fish) with the chlorophyll-munching variety. That’s probably why searches for the trend “aquaponic gardening” are up a whopping 980 percent on Pinterest. The name for this plant-obsessive practice is a mashup of “aquaculture,” meaning raising fish and “hydroponics,” meaning growing plants sans-soil, according to The Aquaponic Source. In practice, the two lifeforms work symbiotically: The fish provide an organic source of food for the fish (via their, er, poo), while the plants filter the chum’s H2O. The result? You get fresh, pesticide-free produce with a fish-friend to boot. While farms across America use the aquaponic technique to run large-scale, fish raising and veggie-cultivating operations, you can start a family-sized garden wherever you have a well-lit corner to house a mini-ecosystem in your home or backyard. Or, if your apartment is a den of darkness, you’ll just need to purchase a grow light instead. Once your tank has accumulated a diverse population, you might also be able to introduce fruiting plants like tomatoes or peppers. Meaning, you could home-grow your whole salad order, NBD. To skip the trouble of visiting PetSmart and Home Depot to collect a tank, fish, seeds, and the like, you can nab a starter kit on Amazon to take some of the legwork out of the setup. Then, all that’s left is
Chunky sneakers are the biggest athleisure trend of 2018
October 01, 2018 at 12:00PM Last December, when this story was originally published, its headline was: In defense of chunky sneakers, the comfiest footwear trend of 2018. Back then, the buzz around bulky kicks that could double as ankle weights was just starting to grow. Flash forward to today, and it’s now one of the biggest sneakers trends for fall—and the top athleisure trend of 2018. These days, just about every fashion girl from Los Angeles to Paris and beyond—think: Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, and more—has laced up a pair of chunky sneakers, which you may remember originated in the ’90s when Fila introduced the OG of “dad shoes,” its Disruptor 2. Thanks to a renewed interest in fashions from that era, the Italian heritage brand is having a renaissance—it held its first fashion show in Milan last month and released an exclusive new capsule collection with Bandier, an upscale activewear boutique around the same time. High-end labels and classic sportswear brands, alike, helped the footwear style go from fad to mainstream by adding ultra-supportive sneakers to their collections in 2018. Some designers, like Stella McCartney, have streamlined the volume from those ’90s versions for a sleeker fit. Others fed into the nostalgia factor like Nike with its M2K Tekno, Puma and its Thunder, and Balenciaga with its Triple S. “The trend provides an opportunity to expand your sneaker collection beyond minimalist styles.” Celebrity stylist Jasmine Caccamo says that while the look may not be for everyone, it’s more versatile than you
H&M’s eco-friendly fall collection wants your attention, conscientious consumers
October 01, 2018 at 12:02PM Fast fashion has never been synonymous with sustainability. Quite the opposite actually. But, as millennial shoppers (AKA these brands’ target audience) grow more conscientious with their consumption, that’s starting to change. Case in point? H&M is launching its first eco-friendly fall collection. The autumn/winter offerings are part of a Conscious Exclusive line, which the Swedish retailer introduced two springs ago. “It all started with a desire to create a statement coat in a sustainable material that could be worn for both those special occasions and day-to-day life, but then evolved into something more substantial,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, in a press release. H&M’s designers used eco-friendly materials like recycled wool, cashmere, polyester, and Econyl, a fabric made from recycled plastic—plus, 100 percent organic fibers like silk—to create a 32-piece capsule of womenswear, lingerie, and accessories, ranging from a $15 pair of dusty-rose-colored underwear to a dolman-sleeved jacket ($300) embroidered with recycled sequins. The end result is as chic as it is sustainable. Photo: H&M The line is also proving that sustainability, in addition to innovative of-the-moment style, sells. The collection only dropped on September 27, but some items have already sold out, like a pair of statement clip-on earrings that resemble cascading orchid petals and a sweatshirt hood covered in black sequins. Other notable offerings, such as a cozy V-neck sweater and a velvet miniskirt aren’t likely to last long, either. That items are already flying off shelves bodes well for H&M’s bigger goals: It
If your Zodiac sign doesn’t quite fit you, this could be why
October 01, 2018 at 11:42AM Whether it’s an eager Aries, fair-minded Libra, or fiery Leo, some people couldn’t align more perfectly with their Zodiac signs, which of course means reading up on them daily. (Heck, it’s even totally socially acceptable to plan your self-care routine or pick out your mattress based on it.) But if you’ve never seemed to identify with one of the 12 sun signs, there could be a simple explanation for that: You might belong to the 13th. Okay, okay—a 13th Zodiac sounds a little crazy, but it’s a thing, and if you didn’t check up on it when the news rocked the celestial world a couple of years ago, I’m here to give you a gentle reminder. A shift in Earth’s axis actually increased the number of astrological signs to a baker’s dozen, and with that came Ophiuchus: a sign that’s meant for those born between November 29 and December 17. If you’re wondering how in the world it came completely out of thin air, that’s not exactly the case, even though it seems like it. According to NASA, the Babylonians who created the Zodiac knew Ophiuchus was a thing, but didn’t use it because they only wanted 12 constellations that would align with the 12 calendar months. (AKA you could have been living a lie for the past 3,000 years…or you know however many you’ve been around.) “Ophiuchus people have Scorpio’s magnetism and sexual allure. They are dream interpreters, passionate, and jealous. But like Sagittarius, they are also wisdom seekers, flamboyant dressers,
We went to Antoni Porowski’s new restaurant, and the menu caters to basically every possible diet plan
October 01, 2018 at 11:11AM Hear ye, hear ye, Queer Eye and healthy-eating fanatics: Your favorite, totally Fab food expert’s long-awaited restaurant is open for business starting today. And despite Antoni Porowski’s pretty strong obsession with all things avocado on the Emmy-winning Netflix show (I mean, no judgment at all—we’re biologically predisposed to love the green smash on toast, after all), the fibrous fruit is hardly the star of the menu at The Village Den, the fast-casual joint in Manhattan’s West Village. Rather, when we went to check out the airy, plant-laden eatery for lunch on opening day, it was clear that the salad-slinging spot’s central mission is to cater to a heavy handful of popular nutrition plans. Porowski—who previously told Well+Good that his eating habits include a combo of keto-style, Paleo, and veganism—may well have created the menu with himself in mind, because each offering is adorned with icons noting whether it’s Whole30, Paleo, ketogenic, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy, gluten-free, or detox (which seems to superfluously indicate the inclusion of a “detox powder” supplement). For example, a $7 oven-baked frittata impressively boasts six icons—holy health! Each menu offering is adorned with icons noting whether it’s Whole30, Paleo, keto, plant-based, vegetarian, dairy, gluten-free, or detox. The robust smoothie menu features a variety of the fruit and veggie usual suspects in some inspired concoctions like the Watermelon Spice, which includes, duh, watermelon, coconut water, strawberries, ginger, lemon zest, and mint. More specialized ingredients, like MCT oil, spirulina, and matcha, make an appearance in some
“Daylighting” can help you beat the winter blues before fall’s even in full swing
October 01, 2018 at 10:39AM At around this time each year, the days start getting shorter and shorter until, *sigh*, you find yourself logging your morning miles in the pitch dark. The truth is: No matter how many endorphins are pumping through your veins post-sweat sesh, the lack of daylight could still saddle you with a bad case of the winter blues. If it does though, the solve might be as simple as switching up the lighting in your space. According to Science Direct, using a decor method known as “daylighting”—which involves designing your home to incorporate as much natural light as possible—has been linked to better health, productivity, and even economic benefits. But since not everyone (read: those who dwell in itty-bitty NYC apartments) has access to unlimited reserves of sunshine, Arch Daily reports that designers are turning to LED lights to mimic the mood-boosting effects using high-tech LED lights. The most impressive of which actually acts as a stand-in skylight. The smart tech comes in various models that run the gamut in pricing and features. This $250 one, for instance, displays a single image of a blue sky, and allows you to alter the intensity of the LED based on your needs, and the natural light cycles of the day. So if, say, you were working from home, you could dial up the brightness for maximum productivity. Then later on, you could dim the device a warmer, less intense light temperature in time for dinner. “Warmer light and lower light levels have been shown to slow
Wait, are acai bowls *really* healthy?
October 01, 2018 at 09:33AM Acai bowls have long been a fixture on our Insta feeds, and for good reason. The amethyst purple and coconut-flake-topped treat is total eye candy, and you can now get one in nearly every neighborhood in LA and NYC. (And at Costco everywhere else.) But good looks and popularity aside, a wellness-crazed babe has to wonder: How do these almond-butter-drizzled, deep-hued wonders actually stack up nutritionally? The short answer is it’s complicated.“There is no one standard way to make an acai bowl, so they vary considerably,” says sports dietitian Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, CSSD. The one thing many of them do have in common is the acai itself, a fruit sourced from South American rainforests that, in and of itself, is quite healthy. It’s packed with inflammation-fighting antioxidants and is super low in sugar when compared to other fruits, clocking in at just 2 to 3 grams of sugar per serving. But since plain acai tastes bitter, that’s not usually all you’re getting. “It’s not uncommon for bowls made with the whole fruit to be sweetened with artificial sugar and syrups, drizzled with honey on top, or blended with sweetened almond or soy milk,” says Sass. “And in addition to acai, most bowls contain other fruits, like banana and berries, and often nuts or nut butter, shredded coconut, or even chocolate.” The other scenario is that many chains and local juice bars use “pomegranate powder” or “acai berry powder” instead of the whole fruit, both of which are pre-packed with
This time-saving full-body move will let you slip in a quick workout in minutes
October 01, 2018 at 08:58AM Some days it’s nearly impossible to find the time to make your way down a long list of exercises that add up to a proper full-body workout. Who says you need an entire handful, though? One celebrity trainer knows the struggle, and that’s exactly why she has a go-to move she can always count on to get the job done. Kira Stokes—the fitness guru who works with the likes of Shay Mitchell and Candace Cameron Bure—recently shared an exercise on Instagram that will have you feeling sore from your head to your toes, and it all starts with the panther plank. Basically, the move is a higher-intensity and sweat-inducing variation of the standard plank. “It’s definitely more challenging than it looks—your shoulders will feel ‘the good stuff’ pretty quickly,” she writes. After just a couple of some reps and some add-ons of other moves you love, you’ll have a workout that’ll leave you feeling accomplished. And, bonus: you don’t need any fancy equipment—or any equipment period, for that matter—and you won’t even have to leave your mat. Ready to get started? Try Kira Stokes’ time-saving, full-body panther planks. View this post on Instagram #smotd – Bodyweight upper body/core combo to leave you feeling #fullystoked def more challenging than it looks – your shoulders will feel “the good stuff” pretty quickly during both panther plank up/downs (or commandos) and extended leg plank up/downs, avoid excessive rocking of your hips modify the triceps push-up by dropping to your knees
Not to be outdone by the vagina, there’s now a sheet mask for your butt
October 01, 2018 at 08:27AM In my skin-care game, I try to not let any important square inch of my body go unkempt. I’m diligent with my multi-step beauty regimen for my face, of course, but then there’s my décolletage, which I moisturize on the reg as if I were a French woman. Then there’s my body, which I oil up until I’m glistening like a dolphin at sea. Even my belly button gets some TLC now that my colleague brought up that they can smell bad if left untouched. And last week when the Internet went crazy for V-masks, I was all about it. But there’s a (rather large) part of my body that I happened to have forgotten: my behind. I run and do squats and leg raises to keep my glutes strong and healthy, so why do I neglect the skin on that area that gets so much devotion in the gym? Not only that, but I sit on my rumpus for hours upon hours at a time at my desk job, depriving it of the level of self-care that I devote to the rest of my body. “Buttock skin is no different than skin on other parts of the body, but it is put under stresses not experienced elsewhere. The skin in this area is continually exposed to sweat, creating an environment that allows for overgrowth of bacteria and fungi,” explains Joshua Zeichner, MD a New York City dermatologist. “Plus chaffing is common on buttock skin