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Day: November 17, 2018

2019 Health City

Before you jump on the ginseng bandwagon, be sure you know its benefits—and side effects

4 min read

November 17, 2018 at 05:00AM Adaptogens have recently become the buzziest thing in mainstream wellness, but in Chinese and Ayurvedic cultures, their health benefits have been touted for centuries. Take ginseng. It’s long been used in Eastern medicine, but Western science has only recently started looking into its benefits by comparison. As more people around the world start working with the plant, it’s important to understand both how it can boost your health, as well as its side effects, says Dana Nahai, RDN. First of all, when speaking about ginseng, Nahai notes that we’re talking about a specific Panax variety, which is native to China, Korea, and North America. “It’s bitter on the palate, and the pharmacological effect is far more potent when used as a tea, tincture, or powder than when infused, fried, or eaten raw,” she says. And when you’re looking for the herb, “quality and bioavailability count for everything,” she explains, adding that you should do your research on the herb or supplement before you buy it. The registered dietitian nutritionist advises buying the whole root intact. Read all about ginseng’s supercharged benefits below. 1. It combats inflammation “Ginsenosides, the class of plant that ginseng belongs to, may have anti-inflammatory effects, according to experimental results in Journal of Translational Medicine,” Nahai says. The research suggests that these ginsenosides target immune system pathways that ultimately combat inflammation. 2. It’s a potentially natural stimulant for focus and attention “Ginseng acts as a natural stimulant and is prized for its effect on

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2019 Health Fashion

One of Meghan Markle’s fave brands is now making workout clothes

2 min read

November 17, 2018 at 04:00AM Since becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle has stuck mainly to solid-colored clothing in neutral tones. But now that one of her favorite fashion lines, Veronica Beard, is making eye-catching athleticwear, I wonder if she’ll trade her all-white workout style for something less subtle? Known for its effortlessly chill aesthetic, the American brand, which Markle’s worn for years reports People, has collaborated with Bandier on a collection of workout clothing and streetwear that’s sold exclusively by the upscale active fashion boutique. Right on trend, the collection is full of leopard-print separates like joggers and high-waisted leggings, as well as camo tracksuits, and a version of Veronica Beard’s signature Dickey Jacket. How do I describe the Dickey Jacket (pictured above), which the brand calls “the first piece of our uniform?” Technically, it’s two pieces: a hooded dickey (as in a faux zip-front sweatshirt) that buttons into a tailored Scuba Jacket. Together, they give the appearance of wearing a hoodie under a blazer without the added bulk of shoving your sweatshirt sleeves through slim-fit armholes. (Never a fun exercise.) In all, the eight-piece collection ranges in price from $88–$600 and up to a size 12 or XL. Several sizes of the line have already sold out, but you can sign up for Bandier’s waitlist if you want to be notified with items are available again. The collection is being sold at Bandier’s brand-new flagship store in New York City, as well as online.  Continue Reading… Author

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2019 Health

What the heck is an aura, and what do all the pretty colors mean?

8 min read

November 17, 2018 at 03:00AM “You’re super purple,” aura reader and psychic medium Mystic Michaela tells me while reading my aura. “You also have a lot of blue in you.” The purple, she tells me, means I’m intuitive (yup), creative (definitely), that I value learning (for sure), and am also very psychic (say what?). And blue means I’m a natural nurturer, healer, and giver with a desire to help people reach their potential, which she says explains why I moonlight as a life coach. There’s also red in my aura, she says—but that’s not supposed to be there. That means I’ve been letting logic guide me rather than my emotions and intuition both in life and in my business, which is not my authentic way of being (how on earth did she know?).  Suffice to say, my first-ever aura-reading experience was pretty spot on. Curious to learn more about all things auras—what even is an aura, and what do the colors signify?—I called upon Michaela, as well as Mama Medicine founder Deborah Hanekamp, who reads auras as part of her healing offerings, to clear things up. Color me intrigued. What is an aura? The term “aura” is often thrown around haphazardly. But what does it actually mean? “An aura is your life force energy field around you,” Michaela says. “I see it in color. We all have our own inherent combination. It’s like a snowflake.” “An aura is your life force energy field around you. I see it in color. We all have our

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2019 Health Fashion

Should you be exfoliating your feet? Apparently, yes

2 min read

November 17, 2018 at 02:00AM In terms of my self-care regimen, one part of my body is definitely left out. Sure, I nourish my face, hair, and limbs with some beauty essentials, but the last thing—geographically and emotionally—I want to deal with are my feet. That’s especially true this time of year, when I simply shove my feet inside of a boot and forget that they ever existed anyways. Apparently, I’m doing them a misdeed, though—because I’ve stumbled upon a skin-care subreddit that’s all about the perks of exfoliating your feet. Exfoliation supposedly combats that gross roughness that you get all too easily. One Redditor concocted their own AHA peel of sorts, applying half a dropper of lactic acid on each foot, then waiting 30 minutes for it to dry. Once it had soaked in completely, they followed it with a rich cream and then socks, and awoke to smoother feet. When I read this, I thought it was super weird to do a facial skin-care step on your nasty feet, but even dermatologists agree that this is a good idea (is this some big secret everyone’s been hiding?!). “It is extremely important to make sure that the skin on your feet is exfoliated because they can get dry and cracked.” —Mona Gohara, MD “It is extremely important to make sure that the skin on your feet is exfoliated because they can get dry and cracked,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a Danbury, Connecticut board-certified dermatologist. “Using AHA and urea are my

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