November 06, 2018 at 12:00PM The days are short, the skies are dark… and it can be incredibly hard to keep your spirits up. But, says W+G Council member and Mama Glow founder Latham Thomas, the way to successfully cope is to embrace your feelings and nurture yourself. Tomorrow in Brooklyn, she will be be part of In My Feelings, a mental health and self-care circle featuring Claire Fountain and sponsored by Saje Wellness. Autumn is a magical time of year, but the chilly weather and lack of sun can take their toll. As the season changes and the days get shorter, it’s easy to feel lonely, down, and low-energy. Whether you call it seasonal affective disorder or just the seasonal blues, these feelings can be a lot to handle. But guess what: They’re not weird at all, and nothing is wrong with you. These are normal aspects of a person’s life as we move through seasons. This is why it’s so important to have hands-on tools that you can use to remind yourself to engage in a self-care practice. Here, I’m not talking about just yourself—I’m talking about the community around you. Whether it’s a sister, a friend, or someone you’ve just met, this is an opportunity to engage your community with intention. Look out for each other. Here are some ways to help yourself feel better when SAD is nipping at your heels. Photo: Stocksy/Marco Govel Listen to your body and mind I’m someone who’s always cold, so
Month: November 2018
This straight-up magical child’s pose variation quells period cramps *and* banishes bloat
November 06, 2018 at 11:45AM Child’s pose is one of those ooey-gooey asanas that even non-yogis can get on board with. I mean, what other opportunities do you get in life to curl up in a ball and feel all your feelings? Even if you’re 100 percent here for the super calming posture already though, there’s one variation you might not know about yet that helps sooth period cramps and banish bloat. The modification, which involves balling your fists and placing them on your mid-section between your lower ribs and hip bones before folding into child’s pose, is kind of like a massage for the organs in your torso. “If there is inflammation in the reproductive area or digestive organs, applying light pressure can help release stagnant energy that leaves you feeling bloated,” says yoga teacher and physical therapist Lara Heimann. “In child’s pose, you are able to access that area in a more relaxed state.” //players.brightcove.net/4872551774001/default_default/index.min.js At first, the move might feel a little uncomfortable. But as more inhales and exhales pass, you’ll start to feel more at home in the posture. Bring it on, Thanksgiving bloat. To get more stretching intel, join use for our Well+Good Retreat in Miami. Email experiences@wellandgood.com to book your spot. Continue Reading… Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good Selected by iversue
What to do *instead of* taking deep breaths to treat an anxiety or panic attack
November 06, 2018 at 10:00AM Mental-health issues are becoming less stigmatized and easier to talk about by the day, especially with celebs getting real about their personal struggles. Still, articulating the experience of having conditions like depression or anxiety can seem confusing or even impossible, so larger scale conversations about defining, then researching and treating them can likewise suffer. A product of this plagues panic disorders, a condition that the Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports effects 2 to 3 percent of the national population each year, despite many of these people not even knowing what they’re battling is treatable. Both anxiety and panic attacks can feel like having a heart attack, says therapist and social worker Scott Dehorty, executive director of a mental-health treatment facility: They can bring about dizziness, loss of balance, increased heart rate, nausea, chest discomfort or pain, choking sensation, and sweating. If you find yourself experiencing this scary laundry list of no-fun symptoms, you’ve likely been told (maybe even by yourself!) to try to calm down and take deep breaths. But that might not be the only course of action. Psychologist and Mindsail expert Carder Stout, PhD, says the best breathing technique during these attacks is to “take medium, regulated breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling with your mouth” since both deep and shallow breaths pose their own issues. Deep breaths have been thought to exacerbate the problem by elongating the hyperventilation that commonly occurs during an attack. Alternatively, Dr. Stout says breathing too shallowly “can cause a feeling
Apparently political divides even affect our…beauty products?
November 06, 2018 at 09:19AM Think the nation seems super divided on a slew of issues? Well, just wait: It turns out the partisan differences go far beyond who you’ve voting for (because—no excuses—you should be voting) at the polls today. According to a new survey, the liberal vs conservative test even applies your beauty products. Yeah, seriously—you’ll never look at lip gloss and deodorant the same way ever again. Politico Magazine recently teamed up with Simmons Research to pinpoint the top liberal and conservative brands across 36 different categories. The survey of around 25,000 US adults broke down everything from restaurant and pet-food to shoe preferences (you can probably guess which camp favors Vans over Clarks, right?), so things got interesting, to say the least. When it comes to beauty products, conservatives over-index the average consumer’s preference to prefer Right Guard antiperspirant, and the same goes for liberals with their Burt’s Bees lipstick/gloss. And that’s just the beginning of what the survey found. Conservatives over-index the average consumer’s preference to prefer Right Guard antiperspirant, and the same goes for liberals with their Burt’s Bees. Other interesting (and TBH, totally stereotypically accurate) divides were between non-alcoholic beverages (liberals prefer LaCroix while conservatives like Diet Pepsi), airlines (liberals fly JetBlue while conservatives stick with Delta), fast-food joints (liberals order Starbucks and conservatives are into Bojangles’), and condiments (liberals go for Newman’s Own salsa and conservatives grab Tony Chachere’s seasoning). There’s even a split when it comes to technology: liberals are all about that Apple, while HP and Samsung are
Get your chocolate fix the *healthy* way with these 9 cacao nibs recipes
November 06, 2018 at 09:14AM There’s a sad misconception that chocolate doesn’t have a place in a healthy diet. And, sure, your doctor isn’t going to be handing out candy bars on your way out of their office any time soon. But cacao nibs—chocolate’s cool, non-processed cousin—are delicious and healthy. Unlike processed chocolate, cacao (and cacao nibs, which are basically chopped up cacao beans) in its raw form is full of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and brain-boosting flavonols. So you’re basically getting the rich flavor of extra dark chocolate without a ton of added sugar or other junk. Sign me up. If you want to know what to do with cacao nibs besides just sprinkling them on top of your morning yogurt, check out these nine sweet cacao nibs recipes. Chocolate lovers, this one’s for you. Photo: Naturally Ella 1. Cacao nib and oat scones Making a batch of these for your fam will definitely ensure your “favorite child” status. Naturally Ella blogger Erin Alderson’s recipe also calls for honey and a teeny bit of vanilla extract to add an extra layer of sweetness. Photo: 8th and Lake 2. Simple overnight bircher muesli Sure, you can have a regular ‘ol bowl of muesli for breakfast, or you can spice it up with some cacao nibs. This recipe from blogger Marie Reginato is beautiful in its simplicity: All you need to make it is alt-milk (she uses cashew milk), raspberries, banana, rolled oats, honey, and of course, the cacao nibs. Photo: Love
Rihanna, Jenna Dewan, and Kim K. prove *this* is the haircut of the moment
November 06, 2018 at 09:11AM There’s nothing like a fresh chop. When temperatures are high, the last thing you want is your hair preventing a cool breeze from grazing your neck. Equally important is having a haircut that avoids the whole getting-caught-in-your-scarf dilemma in the colder seasons. What does this mean? It’s prime time for getting a seasonal cut—particularly one that transitions nicely between hot and cool weather, as coat and snood season rears its head. It’s also why it’s particularly perfect timing for the bob (you know, the OG mid-length hair cut) to yet again make its appearance, which happens to be on the heads of Hollywood A-listers everywhere. Case in point, you’ll find the ultra-versatile cut on Kim Kardashian West who rocks a super-sleek rendition, Rihanna, who’s got a layered, face-framing version, and Jenna Dewan, who owns a piecey short ‘do on the cover of Women’s Health for September. Different from its longer sister, the lob, the bob roughly gazes the collarbones, making it perfect for when you want a refresh on your grown out locks. The best part is that the chic cut works well whether you choose to style it up or let it air dry. You can spritz in a sea salt spray for tousled strands that do their own thing or don it ultra-straight à la Kim. Plus, with winter coming, it’s also convenient: The short hairstyle won’t do that annoying thing where it gets caught in your jackets or matted down when you sport a
Yogi Koya Webb says using this $5 product has fooled people about her age
November 06, 2018 at 08:27AM If you don’t yet know yoga-preneur Koya Webb, a social media sensation who’s captured the attention of over half a million followers on Instagram, it might be time to get acquainted. That is, if you’re into heart-centric inspiration, wanderlust-inducing photography, vegan lifestyle tips, sweaty workouts and, of course, yoga guidance. A word of warning, however; exposure to Webb may also invoke envy (or is that just me?). She’s not only all of the above but also one of those women who somehow glows even more in person sans filters than she does online. She tells me she attributes quite a bit of that shine to her lifestyle. Despite her whole-foods-centric, plant-based diet, Webb is also a big believer in fueling her signature glow with supplements. Her must-haves? A daily multivitamin, B12, probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes. Webb doesn’t pretend to shun store shelves, either; however, her beauty routine is minimal and clean. Below, she shares her four faves for glowing, healthy skin, including a secret stolen from her grandmother, an OG holistic-beauty babe. Keep reading to steal Koya Webb’s wellness-oriented beauty secrets. Photo: Osea Osea Anti-Aging Body Balm, $48 “I love Osea’s anti-aging body balm because it leaves my skin super silky and infuses it with coconut oils, minerals like seaweed, and fruits like açaí and passion fruit,” she tells me. Photo: Pacifica Pacifica Pineapple Wipe Out Face Wipes, $6 “I don’t like using towels on my face because they can contain detergent residue and bacteria that irritate
Eliminate one of life’s greatest frustrations by storing your plastic wrap in the freezer
November 06, 2018 at 08:03AM Everyone has an ongoing mental list of their biggest frustrations—mine definitely includes the people who take up two spots in the parking lot and having to ask your friend to Venmo you for dinner multiple times. But those don’t come anywhere close to matching the struggle of properly unrolling plastic wrap. Luckily there’s a simple hack that might just fix the problem for good. (Halle-freakin-lujah.) While it’s great that plastic wrap clings onto your containers—that’s its job, after all—it’s not so great (read: murder-inducing) that it also clings onto itself, making it incredibly hard to unroll a sheet without it instantly turning into an unusable, bundled-up mess. The solution to easier-stored leftovers is all about where you keep your roll. Instead of putting it in a kitchen drawer or cupboard, try the freezer. The much-colder temp in the freezer temporarily gets rid of the plastic wrap’s clinging powers—just long enough for you to unroll it and pop it onto your container. According to Today, your freezer’s much-colder temp cuts back on static and temporarily gets rid of the plastic wrap’s clinging powers—just long enough for you to unroll it and pop it onto your container. “The adhesion between pieces of plastic may be driven by the molecules in the surface re-arranging themselves to form weak chemical bonds, and the lower temperature may inhibit that process a bit,” said Chad Orzel, PhD, who notes that cold temperature also makes tap less sticky (the more you know!). What you’re
7 things I learned after having ACL surgery
November 06, 2018 at 07:52AM Active exercisers know all too well the struggles of dealing with an injury—and taking even a week off your beloved HIIT workout can seem like the end of the world when you rely on it to de-stress. I’ve personally had my fair share of runner’s knee and light sprains, but last fall, I fell and tore my anterior cruciate ligament or ACL, as it’s more commonly known. It’s the key stabilizing ligament in your knee, which allows you to do all the tasks requiring pivoting motions, including soccer, HIIT, Pilates, basketball and so. much. more. Needless to say: You really need it, and it doesn’t help that ACL injury rates clock in at 100,000 to 200,000 people affected in the United States alone. If there’s a complete tear causing your ACL injury, there’s no way it can repair itself: Surgery is the only option. It’s a long and painful process because you literally have to train your graft to behave in the same way the ACL used to. That means that doing too much too soon can damage the graft, while doing too little can delay recovery. The average recovery time is nine months, but could be more or less depending on several factors, including surgery success and how active a person was pre-surgery. It’s not all gloom and doom however, once you know what to expect, it can be easier to cope with what and ACL surgery means. Here are seven things I learned throughout my recovery
Rumble is the latest boutique studio to jump into the at-home fitness ring
November 06, 2018 at 07:48AM It’s been an action-packed year for at-home sweat fanatics, due in large part to the innovations of Peloton. In 2018, the billion-dollar fitness-innovating pioneer (which first launched its tricked-out stationary bike in 2013) released its first treadmill and a mobile app that lets you work out from anywhere. But, by this time next year, Peloton will be reportedly be facing competition from Rumble, a buzzy boxing boutique. The studio just announced its plans via Instagram to step into the at-home fitness ring, offering a slew of workout options in partnership with Technogym, a luxe fitness equipment and software provider currently supporting a reported 40 million workout warriors. “At Home 360” will combine Rumble’s couldn’t-be-more-charasmatic instructors with Technogym’s top-of-the-line equipment to create a home-gym boxing experience. The Technogym boxing bag will set you back around $1,700, plus a $39-per-month subscription for live and on-demand classes, Rumble CEO and co-founder Andy Stenzler, tells me. “At Home 360” will combine Rumble’s couldn’t-be-more-charasmatic instructors with Technogym’s top-of-the-line equipment to create a home-gym boxing experience. And if just hearing that hefty price tag just felt like a cross-hook-cross to the gut, don’t worry—there’s a budget-friendly workaround. Rumble will simultaneously launch an app—that you can queue up at any gym that features the necessary equipment—for just $20 each month, Stenzler says. View this post on Instagram Signed, sealed, (almost) delivered. RUMBLE @technogym @scooterbraun >>> Coming soon to a living room near you #doyouRUMBLE #werecomingHOME A post shared by Rumble Boxing (@rumble_boxing) on Nov 4, 2018 at