November 20, 2018 at 10:41AM My last Saturday evening didn’t involve going out and enjoying some mezcal cocktails with my BFFs as per usual—rather, I spent my night getting my face pricked with tiny needles and then smothered with my own blood. It wasn’t some gruesome horror-flick that I was living IRL, but rather a vampire facial or PRP facial (AKA platelet rich plasma), made famous my Kim Kardashian’s Instagram (remember that bloody selfie of hers?). The PRP facial involves getting your blood drawn and then spun to isolate the plasma from the red and white blood cells. Once that’s done, the liquid is then microneedled into skin. The benefits are wide-ranging and include everything from decreasing the appearance of fine lines, to zapping acne scars and hyperpigmentation, to stimulating collagen. “The plasma’s the growth factor—so basically that’s like the fertilizer for the lawn.” —Nurse Gigi “The plasma’s the growth factor of blood—so basically that’s like the fertilizer for the lawn,” says Genevieve Vielbig, RN, BSN, CANS, AKA Nurse Gigi, the certified aesthetic nurse specialist who gave me the treatment that night in downtown New York. “It’s the best part of your blood. So you’re microneedling your face and making all of these micro-channels by digging holes into the skin, that way the PRP can penetrate into the skin and help to heal.” Originally, using this magical part of your blood was injected into torn ligaments in injured athletes to speed up healing, she explains—which makes it sound like it’ll do wonders to my
Month: November 2018
Chrissy Teigen asked the Internet for help finding healthy fast food, and the responses were legit helpful
November 20, 2018 at 10:26AM At home, Chrissy Teigen has mastered all things food. From reinventing avocado toast to easy and delicious one-pan meals, whipping up a healthy meal for the fam is her speciality. But out on the road—where the only options for miles are fast food fare—the struggle is real. While a mere mortal may Google “healthy fast food options” from the passenger seat, surfacing some (ahem) super helpful articles on what to eat at places like Chipotle and Panera Bread, Teigen can crowd-source her choices from her 10.6 million Twitter followers. what do you think is the healthiest meal (not side) of any normally junky fast food chain? NO JOKE ANSWERS PLEASE this is serious — christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) November 18, 2018 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js She asked, and they answered, and you know what, a lot of the responses were legit helpful. “Baked potato and chili from Wendy’s,” suggested Two Less Lonely Girls podcast host Corinne Fisher. When you nix the not-so healthy add-ons like cheese and sour cream and top your spud off with chili instead, as the comedian does, you’ll get 19 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. Not bad for 440 calories and $3. Another user called out that White Castle is serving up Impossible Burgers now, which are undoubtedly healthier than the chain’s OG square beef patties. A lot of Teigen’s followers seem to be hardcore Taco Bell lovers, and while not all of their suggestions are actually all that good for
Looking to make your yoga practice *even* more challenging? Ditch your mat
November 20, 2018 at 08:51AM I’ve gone to enough yoga classes that the urge to compare myself to the uber bendy, or those whose bodies seem to defy the laws of gravity has subsided. I’ve come to appreciate what my body can do (hint: it isn’t the splits). But the other day as I looked around the studio I noticed another disparity. Not only was the instructor practicing yoga without a mat, but a handful of the seemingly more advanced students were also contorting their bodies right on the wood floor. I wondered if going mat-less is a more authentic way to practice, and if so, was I ready to move beyond the comfort of my squishy rectangle. “There is absolutely nothing more advanced about not practicing yoga without a mat, but there are a lot of reasons why you might want to give yours up,” says Mandy Kruger, a yoga instructor in Portland, Oregon. While the straight lines of one’s mat can be a way to gauge alignment in certain poses, in others they can be restrictive. “In shadow yoga for example, we move in a lot of circular or non-linear flows. You want these movements to be fluid, and if you have a mat bunching up under your feet you don’t get that experience,” says Kruger. If you’ve ever done downward dog on sand or grass, you know that keeping your hands and feet from slipping takes more muscle strength than it does on a mat. There are
Finding deals on eBay and Etsy will be so much better if you use these 6 simple tips
November 20, 2018 at 08:35AM New York City may have a reputation for being one of the world’s foremost fashion capitals, but from personal experience, this doesn’t always hold true for secondhand shopping. The stylish millions occupying the city have picked through its thrift and vintage stores pretty thoroughly. As a result, I (and a lot of millennials my age) have turned to online vintage shopping. The internet is like one big warehouse capable of producing pretty much any piece of vintage clothing your heart desires; eBay is one such portal, but I more often find answers to all of my problems on Etsy. Yes, the website known mostly for cute home decor and handmade jewelry is also the best place to buy your vintage duds. Most of my prized Earthly possessions are things I’ve found while sifting through the thousands of items that fill its pages. They include but are not limited to a burgundy ’90s leisure suit, a very heavily shoulder-padded blazer emblazoned with stars, and an everyday black slip dress I wear, well, almost every day. In a lot of ways, negotiating secondhand goods online feels like digging through racks IRL to find exactly what you didn’t know you’d been searching for—just on a bigger scale. So as a seasoned and successful veteran of Etsy’s vintage section, I have a few important tips to help you navigate the seemingly endless options—plus some insider intel from Etsy’s resident trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Photo: Getty Images/PhotoStock-Israel 1. Have your
The secret to being great at talking to literally anyone
November 20, 2018 at 08:39AM Striking up a conversation can be pretty intimidating—especially with someone you don’t know well…or don’t know at all. And, TBH, that’s probably why so many people’s anxiety is triggered by social situations. But if anyone knows a thing or two about how to talk to literally anyone, it’s NPR host Terry Gross, who’s interviewed thousands of different people over the years. So, what’s her trick for always having such mesmerizing conversations? In an interview with the New York Times, Gross revealed the key to being a good conversationalist is actually a simple one. Instead of trying to do all the talking yourself, put your listening ears on and unleash your curiosity. “[Excelling at having a conversation means] being genuinely curious, and wanting to hear what the other person is telling you,” she said. “I can respond to what somebody is saying by expressing if I’m feeling sympathy or empathy, and explaining why.” But how do you start that conversation? Don’t worry—Gross has a pro tip for that, too. According to the journalist, the only ice-breaker you’ll need is: “Tell me about yourself.” Easy, huh? Instead of asking simple questions like “What do you do?” she says leaving the question open-ended can yield better results. Another perk? It’s the easiest way to avoid any of that awkwardness that comes at the beginning of a conversation when you quickly run out of things to say after a few back-and-forth exchanges. “Excelling at having a conversation means being genuinely curious, and wanting
We asked over 2,700 Well+Good readers about their anxiety—here’s what they had to say
November 20, 2018 at 07:42AM Take a moment to think about how often you answer the question “How are you?” with a groan, or how frequently you start sentences with “I’m stressed about…” or “I’m anxious about…” I’m pretty sure I’ve already used the former phrase at least three times today. In 2007, the American Psychological Association (APA) called stress a “major health problem” in the U.S., and the org has also named anxiety disorders as the most common mental health issue, affecting nearly 30 percent of American adults at some point in their lives. Stated plainly: Both are a Big Deal (with caps). So why are they still so hard to have a real conversation about? Here at Well+Good, we decided to break the ice by asking readers to share their experiences with stress and anxiety in a recent survey. And it turns out, everyone had something to say: Within 24 hours, more than 1,000 people participated. And in the end, we collected over 2,700 responses total. We learned that readers have trouble telling whether they’re stressed or anxious in any given situation; that peoples’ social lives proved a major trigger for their anxiety; and that, yes, we all have a tendency to put our mental well-being in the NBD category—even though it really, really matters. Scroll down for the results of our anxiety and stress reader survey. (The big takeaway? Whatever you’re feeling, you’re so not alone.) Graphic: W+G Creative Here’s how to course-correct stress in one minute, according to Arianna Huffington. Plus, how
Use the correct order of operations to clean up your messy kitchen in record time
November 20, 2018 at 07:23AM Everyone knows Thanksgiving dinner can quickly transform your kitchen from a squeaky-clean oasis into a total nightmare. Between the splattered mashed potatoes somehow on the wall, sticky spilled gravy on the counter, and crumbles of pie in every nook and cranny, getting your space back to its normal, sparkling state is bound to be the post-holiday workout you never asked for. But changing your technique could make all the difference in how easily—and expeditiously—you get the job done. So, here’s the right order for cleaning your kitchen efficiently and painlessly. If the first thing you typically do when it comes time to clean is grab the mop or broom, put those tools back in the closet—at least for a little while. That simple mistake could seriously lengthen the process, making it even longer before you get to relax and binge-watch your favorite holiday films. According to Apartment Therapy, the number-one rule to know about when it comes to cleaning the kitchen is that it is non-negotiable to work starting from the top—not the bottom. (Sorry, Drake.) When you clean up top, plenty of debris falls right back down onto the floor—AKA the worst thing that can happen directly after a fresh mop or sweep. While those crumbs on the floor may well drive you crazy as you’re wiping down your countertops, saving the task for last offers some perks. When you clean up top, plenty of debris falls right back down onto the floor—AKA the worst thing that
What a Thanksgiving plate looks like for the 6 most popular eating plans
November 20, 2018 at 07:01AM If you’re following a specific eating plan—whether it’s veganism, ketogenic, Paleo, or something else entirely—you’ve probably got this thing down. You have your go-to recipes bookmarked and saved, and you know exactly which grocery store never runs out of cauliflower pizza crust and alt-milks. But there’s nothing like Thanksgiving to throw all of that clockwork routine a little out of whack. The traditional dishes—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes—aren’t always ideal for meatless or low-carb diets. And that makes menu planning tricky: If you’re a guest, you don’t want to stress out your host by making a ton of specific menu requests, or be ~that person~ who refuses practically everything on the table. And if you’re a host, you don’t want to make food only some people can enjoy, or impose your dietary restrictions on the rest of your guests. But in both scenarios, there’s a way to build your Thanksgiving plate where it’s crowded with amazing food—that still fits your health goals. Here, healthy food experts share healthy Thanksgiving menu ideas for their eating plan of choice. Use their picks as a guide to make your own plate—especially if you’re the one doing the cooking. Keep reading to see how to make a yummy Thanksgiving plate for your eating plan of choice. Graphic: Well+Good Creative The vegan Thanksgiving plate “Veganizing your Thanksgiving plate is much easier than you might think,” says Best of Vegan creator Kim-Julie Hansen. “Most side dishes and stuffings can be made vegan with just
Is acupuncture the latest old-but-new-again wellness trend to go mainstream?
[facebook url=”https://www.facebook.com/iamwellandgood/videos/mobile-meditation-studio-be-time-bus/” /] So, is acupuncture the wellness trend of the moment? Photo: Getty Images/Science Photo Library/Adam Gault Acupuncture is hot on the wellness scene—and it only makes sense While, acupuncture is about as new as…oh, bread (which is not new, PS), freshly adopted habits have ushered in a need for the practice. Take fitness for instance: HIIT workouts are at the forefront, which means a demand for new recovery methods isn’t far behind. Shari Auth, DACM, certified doctor of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and WTHN co-founder, says acupuncture is a great antidote to injuries sustained from high-intensity exercise. “Because of these workouts, our bodies are starting to break down sooner with all the increased physical activity. Acupuncture offers a recovery solution that will keep people in the game addressing injuries, pain, and sore muscles.” —Shari Auth, DACM “Because of these workouts, our bodies are starting to break down sooner with all the increased physical activity. Acupuncture offers a recovery solution that will keep people in the game addressing injuries, pain and sore muscles,” she says. “Moreover, we’re in the midst of an opioid crisis in the US, and doctors and patients alike are turning to natural options for pain management before prescribing potentially addictive painkillers.” And perhaps this is part of why there’s a renewed interest in alternative, Rx-prescription-free forms of treatment. “Our parents’ era was about seeing the doctor when they got sick,” Dr. Auth says. “Our generation is about eating better and being active. But the next generation is really focusing on
This turmeric pumpkin quinoa oatmeal is the perfect post-Thanksgiving breakfast
November 20, 2018 at 06:11AM Whether your Thanksgiving spread includes the classics like cranberry sauce and green bean casserole or is a bit more experimental with tofurkey and avocado acorn squash, chances are it still ends with a delicious pumpkin pie. The morning after your feast, cravings for that sweet, beloved dish may linger—and Remy Park, AKA, the force behind the stunning blood Veggiekins, came up with a way to not only breakfast-fy it, but make it into an adaptogenic (read: stress reducing) energy booster. “I’m normally a smoothie person but when the weather starts to get cold, there are mornings where I can’t justify eating something frozen,” says Park. So instead, she created this cozy breakfast that’s brimming with superfoods. Start with the base—a blend of quinoa and oats. “I like to add quinoa to my oats because it brings a little more texture, protein, and a really nice nutty flavor,” says Park. Then, the spices: Park choose the pumpkin spice blend not for its seasonal ubiquity, but because of its warming properties: Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice encourage circulation in your body, which can help keep you warm—a bonus on a cool winter morning. To top it all off, Park tossed in two powerful adaptogens —mesquite and maca— which can help banish brain fog and get your morning off to a sharp start. The best part is that you can begin with Park’s base and customize to your liking by switching up the spices, swapping the sweetener, or playing with