December 07, 2018 at 11:36AM You’ve had your downward dog and warrior poses mastered for years, but when you put yourself into trickier situations that require some serious balancing skills, it only takes a second to fall out. So what gives? Well, according to a podiatrist, you might be able to blame your yoga mat. In a recent episode of the Urban Wellness Clinic’s Muscle Medicine podcast, Emily Splichal, DPM, reveals the prime yoga accessory could actually be why balancing is so hard. “When you go onto a yoga mat, you’re dampening or blocking the small nerves in the bottom of the feet,” she says. And those nerves are crucial for mastering one-legged poses: They have quicker reaction times, making them better at sensing tiny movement changes to help keep you balanced. Unfortunately, due to the texture and thickness of mats, those nerves are often suppressed, forcing you to rely on the large nerves on the outside of the ankle that don’t do nearly as good of a job at keeping you stable. “When you go onto a yoga mat, you’re dampening or blocking the small nerves in the bottom of the feet.” —Emily Pplichal, podiatrist Since all soft surfaces in general are culprits—and there’s no way you’re doing yoga on a hardwood floor—there’s really no quick fix besides Dr. Splichal’s go-to mat: the Naboso ($110), a proprioceptive mat that’s specifically designed to stimulate the nerves in the bottom of the feet for better control and stability during exercise. “There are tiny little
Day: December 7, 2018
This is What Actually Happens to Your Gut When You’re Stressed Out
December 07, 2018 at 11:23AM If you’ve ever gotten butterflies before a work presentation or lost your appetite after looking at your to-do list, you’ve felt the effects that stress can have on your digestive system. Since stress in life is pretty much a given, we teamed up with Renew Life® to get to the bottom of why exactly your gut acts up when you’re at a level 10—and tapped Kaitlyn Clarke, chiropractor and functional nutritionist at Urban Wellness Clinic, to find out what to do to keep your gut health on point in spite of it. “You cannot truly break out of the stress/gut cycle without tackling it from both directions,” Dr. Clarke says. “You must take control of your stress level, while simultaneously improving your gut health.” Luckily, breaking the cycle is possible if you’re proactive about it, which is why we asked Dr. Clarke to share her advice on how to ditch stress and iffy gut health at the same time. Scroll down for more on how stress and gut health are connected—plus her tips on how to beat the stress cycle. Photo: Stocksy/Nasos Zovoilis The science To understand how to keep your gut calm when you’re feeling anxious, you first have to understand why it reacts the way it does. “The connection between stress and gut health really comes down to what’s known as the brain-gut axis,” Dr. Clarke explains. Buckle in for some science: Your brain and your gut are linked by your vagus nerve (the longest cranial
It took me 2 and a half minutes to convince myself to buy this French girl-approved shirt
December 07, 2018 at 11:23AM Every morning, I spend the first 45 minutes of my day at work trolling the internet for fodder and inspiration (I swear it’s work-related!). Well, 15 minutes into today’s session, I came across The New York Times’ merchandise collection. It then took me roughly two minutes to come across the New York Herald Tribune knit shirt (buried for some reason on the last page!) and another two and a half minutes to convince myself to buy it. It looks to be a high quality and snuggly knit tee, in a vintage cut with the words “New York Herald Tribune” (a newspaper rival of the NYT in the ’60s) printed in nostalgic typeface across the chest. Iconic details, all. But the thing that really makes this shirt sing is the fact that it looks almost exactly like the one Jean Seberg’s character wears in the seminal French new-wave film by Jean-Luc Godard, Breathless. Breathless was my first exposure to Godard, who has since become one of my favorite directors. His films, especially A Woman is a Woman, very much influenced my maximalist and kitschy aesthetic tendencies. Photo: Getty Images/Walter Daran However, as much as I may aspire to channel those little styling and lifestyle tricks that give off that je ne sais quoi quality of being French, dressing like an American in Paris (like Jean in Breathless) is much more my speed than pretending to have suddenly become a French girl. So, when I saw this shirt, I spent a
#StanSmithForever: After 45 years, Adidas and Stan Smith are making it official
December 07, 2018 at 10:24AM Adidas Originals and Stan Smith are the Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw of sneakers, which is to say, it took them way too long to discover that they belonged together foreva eva, foreva eva. But today, after *45 years,* they announced that they’ve decided to make a lifelong commitment to one another, in the form of a signed partnership. I’m sure Charlotte York Goldenblatt would be elated by the news and want to stand up and announce it to a crowded restaurant if she could. (RIP Sex and the City 3.) Since she can’t, however, I’m doing it for her. That’s right, footwear fairytale endings do exist. Of their eternal union, Torben Schumacher, general manager of Adidas Originals and Style, told WWD, “The sneaker has been an integral part of the Originals history and will continue to have a lasting impact in the years to come.” It’s not the most romantic statement, but it’ll do. Plus, to show how serious it is about its relationship with Smith (the man), Adidas is releasing a new version (that, to be honest, looks like every other version) of the iconic low-top he designed in 1965 and they first released in 1973. And just like every expression of love in the time of social media, it’s got its own hashtag. The #StanSmithForever drops December 8. If you want to make your own pair of Stan Smiths last forever, buy some baking soda and try these DIY tips for cleaning white
The one sugar-coated STFU tip you need to silence the chatty Kathy in your office
December 07, 2018 at 09:41AM We all know at least one person who can monologue in the vein of a Shakespearean character (in other words, with no foreseeable period in sight). But since shush-ing them isn’t exactly an option—especially if they happen to be a co-worker—you’ll need an escape route that walks the fine line of being both effective and polite. And according to Ellen Hendriksen, PhD, of the Savvy Psychologist podcast, one surefire method for doing so is to call the conversation quits before it even really begins. Rather than letting your cubicle-mate start telling a meandering story about her weekend glamping trip, the psychologist recommends establishing right off the bat that you have priorities—and none of them include nodding with a fake smile for the next 30 minutes. “It may be tempting to wait for an opening or to engage for a few minutes so you don’t feel rude, but if you know exactly what’s happening when Kevin [or whatever coworker won’t STFU] rolls his chair into your cube, it’s okay to interrupt before he even sits down,” advises Hendriksen on a recent episode of the podcast. “You can even raise your hand in a ‘stop’ gesture.” Then, say something like, “I’m all ears, but today I need to stick with my TDL. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow, okay?” or “Can we talk later? I’m trying to finish _______ right now.” At first, it will feel a little unnatural to reclaim your schedule from this chatty Kathy, but the psychologist assures you—it will get easier. “Let
Another day, another alt-milk: what you need to know about sesame milk
December 07, 2018 at 08:53AM Just when you replaced your almond milk for oat, there’s a new alt-milk popping up in grocery store aisles: sesame milk. (Seriously, what can’t you milk?) Chicago-based company Deliciousness just launched the world’s first organic, packaged sesame milk: Hope & Sesame. There are five flavors—original, unsweetened original, chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate hazelnut—available for purchase online. View this post on Instagram The very first box of our #sesamemilk ships out today! #vegan #organic #glutenfree #brandspankingnew #proteinrich #proud @hopeandsesameco A post shared by deliciousness.com (@bydeliciousness) on Nov 28, 2018 at 1:01pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js The brand maintains that a serving has just as much calcium as cow’s milk (30 percent of your recommended daily value) as well as eight grams of protein (on-par with cow’s milk, too). They’re also hoping consumers are into the slightly nutty taste. (The chocolate hazelnut does sound like liquid Nutella, IMO…) How does it compare to other nut milks? This sesame milk certainly wins on the protein front compared to almond and oat milks, both of which typically have about 1 gram of protein per serving. (The protein punch likely from the brand’s use of “sesamein,” which is second on the ingredients list and is a combo of organic sesame protein and pea protein concentrates). Sugar-wise, like other milks, this one tends to get higher once flavors are involved (up to 17 grams per serving). Other good-for-you benefits you’ll reap from sesame milk: magnesium, vitamin, E, and healthy fats. The milks are organic, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and
On the hush-hush, TheraGun is launching a *much* quieter, equally powerful tool
December 07, 2018 at 08:49AM If you took version 1.0 of the muscle massaging device known as the TheraGun out for a test-drive, your first thought would be Ahhh, my muscles just died and went to recovery heaven! and your immediate second reaction would be Man! Is this thing loud, or what!? But no more: Today with the launch of TheraGun G3PRO (which costs $599, and can be pre-ordered today for shipping on January 7th), the company offers a partial remedy to the device’s discordant issue. By partnering up with a team of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the brand reports that they’ve managed to lower the overall noise level of the pre- and post-sweat-gizmo by more than 50 percent. And as a result, you’ll be able to kick back on the couch and continue watching Netflix without a sound that kinda resembles a dentist’s drill interrupting the drama unfolding on screen. Or, okay, it will be at least half as disruptive. “I’m super excited to share the TheraGun G3PRO with the world,” says Theragun founder Jason S. Wersland, who adds that the new model also features a sleek, next-level design, better battery life, and multiple speeds (1750 RPM for lighter treatment or 2400 RPM for standard treatment). However, he happens to agree that the quieter feature of the G3PRO is the improvement he’s most amped about. “What I’m most proud of is that we were able to lower the sound by 50 percent without compromising our standards,” he tells me. I’m anxiously awaiting one month from today
Julia Roberts brushes with baking soda to get that megawatt smile
December 07, 2018 at 08:39AM Over the years, Julia Roberts has taught us there’s nothing wrong with being a sneaker-clad runaway bride, how not to act at a best friend’s wedding, and that traveling the world to eat, pray, and love solo is an absolute must. But one of her most important lessons of all? If you want to get her famous megawatt smile, you don’t necessarily have to shell out the big bucks on cosmetic dentistry. Rather, just reach into your pantry for some household items. Since day one in the limelight, the actress’s ear-to-ear grin has been completely infectious and sought after by fans to re-create. But, it turns out her secret is simple: brushing with baking soda. Yes, seriously—even with all the luxuries she has at her disposal, Roberts is adamant that nothing beats the hack that’s been used passed down in her family for generations. “I brush my teeth with baking soda,” she tells InStyle. “My grandfather would put a big heaping mound of it on his toothbrush. He had only one cavity in his entire life.” Of course, other components of dental hygiene weigh into the likelihood of getting a cavity, like flossing, so be sure to care for your teeth using more than just the multitasking ingredient. Her pearly-whites secret is simple: brushing with baking soda. Still, if you want to see if Julia Roberts’s hack could work for your grin, you could always go with her grandpa’s method—or you could put together a homemade toothpaste that only has a
Keep, regift, or return? This flowchart will tell you what to do with those awful (but thoughtful!) presents
December 07, 2018 at 08:33AM Ah, the season of giving…and receiving. While the holiday joy may be as palpable as the sweat in a SoulCycle locker room, nothing deflates the good vibes quicker than unwrapping a terrible gift. You don’t doubt that your Great Aunt Pearl or work wife or new hot fling meant well when selecting a prezzie for you, but that doesn’t change the reality that you now need to give an Oscars-worthy performance and matching acceptance speech to cover up the fact that you hate that necklace, or that hand-knit throw blanket, or that Kindle you’ll truly never use, or that sweater that is just so…yolky (you hate yellow, okay?). Instead of just grinning (through your tears) and bearing it, wouldn’t it be better for all parties if you could turn your bad present into something you’ll actually enjoy? Because, hey, that’s kind of whole point, and any other course of action would be a missed opportunity. But it’s a lot more complicated than saying, “No, thanks!” and asking if the giver knows the store’s return policy: Etiquette expert Diane Gottsman says the best way to proceed with a God-awful gift depends on who the gifter is, the quality of your relationship, and what the item in question even is. “The bottom line is to not offend anyone and to keep hurt feelings at bay,” she says. “If your neighbor brings you a tin of treats, and they’re terrible, it’s not your responsibility to tell them that; just
A beginner’s guide to building stamina and boosting your endurance
December 07, 2018 at 07:49AM Whether you’re just embarking on your fitness journey or planning to get your rear in gear so that you can run your first marathon, increasing stamina is a good goal to have. Why? For starters, improving your physical fitness involves increasing your body’s efficiency. And stamina is key to maximizing the productivity of your heart, lungs, and muscles. So stamina is important, but what is it, exactly? Stamina, which can be used to describe both physical and mental pursuits, is defined as the ability to push yourself to your maximum potential for a given length of time. When you set out to build your stamina, you’re working to increase the period of time during which you’re able to perform at the peak of your abilities. Stamina differs from endurance in that the latter is actually about increasing the duration of your workout not maxing out your effort, necessarily. Photo: Getty Images/amriphoto Benefits of increasing stamina Let’s be real for a minute—even performing at your current ability level can be completely draining. And now you’re expected to kick things up a notch?! I can hear a collective groan echoing through the internet, and trust me, I know that the struggle is real. But before you say “no way” to pushing your body even harder than you already do, consider that there are several important benefits involved in building stamina. Increased stamina means reduced fatigue, less energy required to complete your daily to-do list, and better physical