November 09, 2018 at 12:50PM Conversations around sun exposure usually involve how best protect yourself from the evils of UV rays (skin cancer is scary as hell, y’all). While these are completely valid concerns, we’re here to shine a light—pun fully and proudly intended—on the other side of things: the benefits of sunlight. It’s basic, really: we need sunlight to survive. If we didn’t, we’d be like those creepy see-through deep sea creatures. But we’re humans, not barreleye fish, and therefore we require a decent amount sunlight to not just live, but thrive. And it’s honestly pretty good for your bod—in moderation, of course. I talked to the experts to understand the benefits of sunlight. Here’s what they said. Stocksy/Pansfun Images First things first: getting too much sun has its consequences—namely, skin cancer. Always, always wear sunscreen (at least SPF 30) before going outside to protect your skin from burns and future damage. Using sunscreen will not cancel out any sun benefits, especially vitamin D production (more on that in a sec), says Chirag Shah, MD, co-founder of Accesa Labs. In other words, no excuses to skip slathering on the SPF. Now that we have that out of the way…time to learn all about the benefits of sunlight! 1. Sunlight = vitamin D Sunlight giving you vitamin D is one of those wellness ideas that gets thrown about all the time without a lot of explanation to back it up. (See also: inflammation.) Here’s the lowdown: “Vitamin D is produced using ultraviolet
Day: November 9, 2018
Show some resect for big bush energy, BDE’s badass grandma
November 09, 2018 at 12:24PM Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson may have called it quits (and have aired their feelings about said breakup through artistic pursuits), but one of the highlights of their relationship can never and will never die. Big Dick Energy, or BDE, which was originally attributed to the late, great Anthony Bourdain and then co-opted by Grande about her then-fiancé, describes the vibe a man with a big ‘ole, ahem, member, gives off when he’s just existing in the world. It’s an aura, if you will. An attitude that comes with knowing you’re packing heat in your boxer briefs. As the viral meme spread, we starting attributing BDE to females who didn’t necessarily possess the appendage necessary to anatomically qualify them for the moniker. But, in truth, women have possessed their own special spark of this energy for eons—way before Pete Davidson and Anthony Bourdain were swinging theirs around. I’m talking, of course, about Big Bush Energy. Big Bush Energy is the attitude a woman gives off when she’s rocking a tuft of her natural body hair—either under her arms or farther down under on the mons pubis—and doesn’t give a fuck about what you think about it. Have you ever seen an old-school porno or leafed through a vintage copy of Playboy and seen ladies rocking a forest between their thighs? Have you ever seen anything so confident and sexy? Methinks not. Women have possessed their own special spark of BDE for eons—way before Pete Davidson and Anthony
How to fix the most common yoga mistakes, according to an instructor
November 09, 2018 at 11:34AM As you glide quickly from one asana to another in yoga, it can start to feel like you’re a human pretzel, who may or may not be doing everything exactly right. The thing is, while you don’t necessarily have to look just like your instructor perfectly executing every move, certain mistakes can take a slight toll on your body (or just not feel as good as doing the move properly). At Well+Good’s last retreat, which took place at the Cedar Lakes Estate, co-leader and New York City-based yoga instructor Beth Cooke revealed the three moves that people most commonly don’t get just right. “These are common things that people get wrong,” she says as she makes hands-on adjustments. “Okay, maybe not wrong—but there are better ways of doing them.” Whether it’s just an alignment that’s out of wack or a downward dog that could use some improvement, here are Cooke’s simple alterations to the most common yoga mistakes that she sees in her classes. “They’re little corrections, but they make a big difference,” says Cooke. “It’s hard work but it’s better for the body, and it’ll give you a stronger practice.” Namaste. Photos: Elena Mudd Downward facing dog “Take your regular down dog with your middle fingers facing forward so you have better traction to lift the hips up and back,” says Cooke. “Now bend your knees and stick your tailbone even higher. Now you’ll have more strength in the spine and the side body, which is
Why does the keto diet make your breath smell so freaking foul?
November 09, 2018 at 10:35AM One surprising truth about the ketogenic diet: There are a lot of weird side effects. From feeling completely wiped when you first start to funky poop problems, it isn’t all rainbows and avocados. And now for another super-fun potential downside: keto breath. Keto breath is…exactly what it sounds like. The diet can basically make your breath smell really, really foul, thanks to all of those delicious, good-for-you healthy fats you’re eating. “When you start the ketogenic diet, your liver begins breaking down fatty acids and turning them into ketones,” explains Sara Gottfried, MD. (In case you’re a keto newbie, ketones are a form of fuel for your cells that come from fat.) “Then your body uses a portion of the ketones and the rest are excreted in breath and urine,” she says. Most people compare the distinct smell to rotten apples, Dr. Gottfried adds. Fortunately, Dr. Gottfried says keto breath doesn’t last forever—it’s just an unfortunate part of your body adjusting during that transition period. “Keto adaptation takes about 10 days in healthy people, and longer in people who are insulin resistant—in my practice, up to six weeks,” she says. After that, your body—and breath—should get back to normal. But thankfully, you don’t have to just live with a smelly mouth in the meantime. Getting rid of keto breath starts with being extra-intense about your tooth-brushing routine. “Floss twice a day, scrape your tongue, and brush for two to three minutes twice a day,” Dr. Gottfried says. Something else she
The healthiest people in the world share this one fitness habit
November 09, 2018 at 10:04AM People dwelling in Blue Zones (longevity hotspots across the globe, including parts of Costa Rica, Greece, and Japan) seem to have mastered the secret sauce of living their best lives. Not only do they advocate for clocking seven-plus hours of sleep and finding an ultra-inspiring social group, they also lay claim to a simple, yet brilliant fitness tip: move naturally. Rather than popping on MindBody to book a spot on a stationary spin bike, you’ll find these connoisseurs of carpe diem walking to work, taking the stairs, and indulging in a mid-afternoon stretch, according to Dan Buettner’s The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who Have Lived the Longest. They’re also big fans of growing their own gardens, and using non-mechanical approaches to complete yard and housework. There’s a whole bunch of science supporting this back-to-basics approach, reports Quartzy: Americans have reported that their daily car commute is the most dreaded part of their everyday lives, according to NPR, so replacing it with a leisurely stroll could majorly help to de-stress. And last year, the American Cancer Society found that a daily stroll could reduce the risk of dementia by 40 percent. Plus (just to drive the point home), a report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine this year found that walking at 2.7 fits the bill for moderate-intensity exercise. Sure, 9 to 5ers with highly sedentary jobs don’t always have the opportunity to frolic about at your leisure. But chances are you could squeeze in some time for a quick walk around
This Yogi Reveals Her Self-Care Rituals—And We’re Taking Notes
November 09, 2018 As a yogi, Caley Alyssa’s work involves moving her body mindfully every single day. However, she is definitely not immune to the little challenges that all of us face when it comes to taking care of our bodies and minds in a busy, chaotic world. Here are top self-care rituals! Continue Reading… Author | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
You know you have a flawless poop when when the tissue is clean post-wipe
November 09, 2018 at 09:58AM Going number two is pretty rote at this point, right? You go, you wipe, you flush. Pretty simple. But if you’re going through rolls of TP faster than Pete and Ari’s engagement (too soon?), you might actually have a problem. While toilet paper of course serves an important purpose, it turns out there shouldn’t be much use for it at all if your body is functioning properly and making healthy poops. In a recent episode of the Urban Wellness Clinic‘s podcast, naturopathic doctor Marisol Teijeiro, ND, mentioned something pretty mind-blowing: After wiping, that piece of two-ply tissue should still look spotless. “You should have absolutely nothing on the paper,” she says. “Don’t be a hyper-wiper. You should wipe once, and wipe clean.” Okay, this is obviously news to a lot of us. But this whole “wipe once” thing isn’t just about saving money on toilet paper—it’s about your health. If you’re using up a few sheets to get the dirty job done, Dr. Teijeiro says that’s a sign your body isn’t happy, and is thus producing stool that’s looser (and messier) than it should. “It’s just an example of us not eating well for our bodies, or eating things we’re sensitive to, having too much stress, or a sign of our microbiome—or our good and bad gut bacteria—not being optimal,” she says. Instead of producing something you’ll have to wipe and wipe and wipe, Dr. Teijeiro says your daily #poopgoals should consist of bowel movements that sink, not float, and
All your friends are right: You need to start watching “The Great British Baking Show”
November 09, 2018 at 09:25AM The winners of The Great British Baking Show (known as The Great British Bake Off in its native England), don’t get a cash prize. When they win, after spending 10 weeks slaving over turquoise ovens in a giant tent, churning out soufflés, meat pies, and epic, lion-shaped loaves of bread, they’re sent on their merry way with a bouquet of flowers and a glass cake stand. Oh, and the promise of becoming very, very famous. Past winners of the beloved baking competition show, which just dropped on Netflix, have gone on to quit their day jobs, sign huge book deals, and appear in television specials. One lucky winner (who will remain nameless, because, spoilers) even baked the Queen’s 90th birthday cake. The reason they’ve been able to channel their GBBO stints into successful careers is because the show is immensely popular. According to GQ, in 2014, more people in the UK watched the GBBO finale than the World Cup final. In 2016, nine of the 10 most-watched television programs in the UK were episodes of GBBO. (The only non-GBBO program was Planet Earth II.) And the reason the show is so popular in both the UK and the US (unfortunately, there are no publicly available ratings for the US run of the show because Netflix doesn’t release these stats) is because it’s amazing. More than that, it’s the salve our bruised, broken nation needs right now. The reason the show is so popular is because
You’ll soon be able to get your Impossible Burger fix at the grocery store
November 09, 2018 at 09:10AM Ever since I took my very first bite out of an Impossible Burger, I’ve been hooked. I basically plan my meals around the pinpoints on its location map. And there’s a lot of ’em: Once only served at Momofuku Nishi in New York City, the plant-based patties are now available at more than 5,000 restaurants across all 50 states (including White Castle!), not to mention 100 more around the world. Its already-impressive reach is about to get even broader, though, because the Impossible Burger is now coming to grocery stores. Following in the steps of its competitor, the Beyond Burger—which has been sold in retail since 2016—Impossible Foods just announced consumers can start stocking up their supermarket carts with Impossible Burgers starting in 2019. And, not surprisingly, the option has been highly requested. “By far the number-one message from fans on social media is, ‘When will I be able to buy and cook the Impossible Burger at home?’” said Patrick Brown, MD, Impossible Foods’ CEO and founder, in a press release. “We can’t wait until home chefs experience the magic and delight of the first plant-based meat that actually cooks and tastes like meat from animals—without any compromise.” While this news is exciting, there’s currently no further details about the next chapter of the “bleeding burger” or how it’s going to be sold. The Beyond Burger can be found everywhere from Whole Foods to Target and is stocked right in the meat section alongside the real thing, as well as
I went backstage at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and all the Angels had one piece of advice
November 09, 2018 at 09:03AM Drink a lot of water. It’s the oldest trick in the book, and yet, one that I heard time-and-time again when I went backstage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (which will air on December 2) this year. While models have access to all the perks of a wellness life well-lived (and while others are known for throwing down some out-there philosophies), it seemed that everyone I talked to this year was back to the basics: chug that H2O, take off your makeup at night, meditate, and squeeze in a sweat sesh when you can. Let’s be real, it’s not magic, model-making advice, but I do think that there’s something to nailing the good-for-you basics (or picking one good habit to start making) and keeping consistent on a regular basis. From there, it’s all about what makes you feel good and in your own skin. Without further adieu, here are the wellness tips I gleaned backstage. Photo: Rachel Lapidos for Well+Good On having clear skin Megan May Williams (left): “For me, it’s drinking lots of water. And having hot water and lemon in the morning. I’ve also been taking this collagen powder leading up to the show. You put it in hot water—it’s a tip from my dad and it’s meant to fight aging and give you a glow. I also put it in smoothies with lots of greens. Spinach is really good with ginger and lemon. Cucumber is really good, I like it in my smoothies.