December 13, 2018 at 01:09PM At this point, most healthy eaters know that you have to give most food label health claims and slogans a hefty dose of side eye. (Here’s looking at you, “whole wheat.”) But even the most skeptical among us can still get tripped up. Words like organic, natural, and non-GMO all sound great—but what do they really mean? Which one should I buy and which ones just aren’t worth it? And on that note…why are there so many different types of eggs? Enter Foodprint, a newly launched non-profit aimed at helping consumers cut through the noise by understanding ingredients as well as sustainability, worker welfare, and animal welfare. Here, their chief scientist, Urvashi Rangan, PhD (who also leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports), along with The Real Food Grocery Guide author and health coach Maria Marlowe, reveal the label-reading mistakes healthy shoppers most often make at the grocery store. Photo: Getty Images/Hoxton/Tom Merton 1. Assuming “natural” is best “Between organic, non-GMO, and natural, I would take ‘natural’ off the table first because there really isn’t any definition of what it means, and brands use it so loosely,” Marlowe says. On the other hand, Marlowe and Dr. Rangan say organic and non-GMO are both legitimate certifications and brands must meet specific criteria in order to use that language on their labels. “With non-GMO, that means no genetically-modified food was used at any point, including feed that was given to the animals, if that
Day: December 13, 2018
10-minute micro-workouts are the smartest way to get fit quickly
December 13, 2018 at 01:02PM When I plan my workouts each week, I find myself having to squeeze them in between a.m. events, work, and post-work dinner plans. And let me tell you: Trying to carve out an hour(ish)-long gym block into my jam-packed day can be a challenge, but I do it, because I’ve always been told that workouts are supposed to be 45 to 60 minutes long. But…are they really? The Center for Disease Control’s physical activity guidelines advise everyone to get 150 minutes of a moderate-intensity workout per week in order to be physically healthy. And yet, they’re not exactly specifying how you should be accumulating those 150 minutes. In fact—wait for it—a study has shown that shorter burts of effort actually resulted in the same benefits as a single 50-minute long cardio sesh. So yes, it’s totally fair to get in uber-short workouts more frequently (as in: 10 minutes of effort, 3 times a day, according to My Fitness Pal) to reap the same benefits. “We’re all super busy, so it can be hard to find motivation during precious downtime,” says Ivana Bolf, a trainer at Body Space Fitness in New York. “So it’s important to get moving whenever possible, even if it’s for short periods of time.” Think about planning your mini-workouts the same way you would plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Engaging in these quick, 10-minute sweat sessions will give you plenty of body benefits, and besides that, they’re much easier to pencil in between your 3
The skin-type-specific ways to lock foundation onto skin
December 13, 2018 at 12:58PM In the beauty world, we often talk about our skin-care and makeup routines as two separate entities. First, you go through the XYZ number of steps it takes to get your base glow, then you dress it up with your favorite glam. But really, when it comes down to it, these two routines should be working in tandem. The way you get your skin ready for makeup is just as important as the makeup itself, but figuring out how to prep your skin for foundation can actually differ based on the type of skin you have. “Everyone has a different skin type, so it’s important to prep your skin before your makeup application according to that,” says makeup artist Jillian Dempsey. “You’d hate to make an oily face even oilier or prep a dry face with a mattifying lotion, only to dry it out more. Acne, skin sensitivities, and so much more play into how each person should prep their skin prior to makeup.” As someone with dry skin, I wouldn’t dream of using any sort of powder on my face, ever, but my oily and acne-prone friends tend to balk when I tell them that my pre-makeup routine involves a hefty dose of facial oil. As proven by our real-life regimens (and subsequent “no, I’m doing it the right way!” arguments) we all clearly need different things to get our skin ready for the makeup that follows. To get right down to exactly what, I chatted with the
Audio-only workout apps are going to transform your fitness routine for the better
December 13, 2018 at 11:59AM If you could tune into your fellow gym patrons’ earbuds, you’d likely hear plenty of Cardi B, workout remixes of “thank u, next,” and likely, expert trainers coaching athletes. Yes, the age of audio-only fitness is upon us, fellow sweat-enthusiasts, and I’m here to report that it means good things for your beyond-busy schedule, your health, and your bank account. Aaptiv—an audio fitness app that Fast Company reports currently caters to 200,000 members in 20 countries across the globe—has brought a wide-ranging number of workouts from treadmill running to boxing to ears everywhere. On average, 30,000 Aaptiv classes are taken each day. But while the company is certainly the titan of the space (they’re the sole app that’s solely focused on audio), other fitness giants have been flirting with the ears-only format, too. This summer, Peloton staked their claim in the on-demand scene with their digital iteration featuring both audio and visual streaming workouts. Then, ClassPass followed suit with their free app ClassPass Go featuring five- to 90-minute classes taught by expert trainers. As for why the digital shift is occurring now? Nike master trainer Kirsty Godso suspects you can boil its popularity down to a magical combo of convenience and accountability. “People are spending more money than ever on their well-being from training to nutrition to recovery. This is definitely driving the dramatic increase in available options of streaming workouts.” On top of that, she adds that people are digging the fact that you can take these offerings wherever you may roam. And thus,
I’m 5′ 11″ and I swear by these $17 Costco yoga pants
December 13, 2018 at 11:47AM Confession: I’d never set foot inside a Costco until 2013. I’d never lived near one (the closest location when I was growing up was like, an hour away), so I’d only heard stories from other people about how you could find literally everything there, from books to jewelry to 24-packs of boneless, skinless chicken breast. But when I went there for the first time with a friend of mine while visiting her family, never in my wildest dreams would I have anticipated finding the world’s best yoga pants. And these aren’t even like, Lululemon yoga pants sold at a discount or anything. These are Costco’s own store brand—Kirkland—and I have never had a better, more comfortable, longer-lasting pair of yoga pants. The boot-cut, full-length yoga pants are made out of a nylon-and-Spandex blend, with a mid-rise waistband that contains a hidden pocket. And while they look a little basic IRL, the pant fabric is thick and durable (no see-through booty here), meaning that I have had my current pair since 2015 and they have yet to rip or tear, despite wearing them multiple times per week. They stretch with you during your yoga workout, but work just as well for any person’s Thanksgiving or Christmas wardrobe. (Stretchy pants = all the more room for that second piece of pie, amirite?) But the best part, in my opinion: They come in tall sizes. And not the usual “Visit us online for extended sizing!” nonsense that us
How to stop your sweaty feet in their tracks—the *natural* way
December 13, 2018 at 11:11AM Having exceptionally sweaty feet stinks. Literally. Not only does the problem—known as hyperhidrosis, which also affects other areas of your body—turn your favorite pair of heels into a straight-up Slip ‘N Slide (minus the fun!), but all that wetness can also have some other less-than-stellar consequences, too. So how can you ditch the problem for good? According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), there’s no solid explanation on why hyperhidrosis occurs. Because it tends to happen all the time—whether you’re actually hot or not—it’s thought to be something that’s inherited, eventually giving the feet a whitish and wet look. Unfortunately, whether you’re just super-sweaty or you actually have the condition, that wetness is a slippery slope toward additional problems. “Sweaty feet can be inconveniencing and the catalyst for other feet issues, like odor and infections,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. On top of the physical symptoms, the APMA says the constant worry about your feet sweating or stinking could majorly mess with your mental health, too—maybe even more so than it does physically—causing emotional stress, anxiety, and even isolation. Luckily, there are plenty of different ways you can take on the issue. Before scheduling an appointment with a podiatrist for treatment—which involves everything from heavy-duty antiperspirants for your feet and oral prescription meds to botox and even surgery—try these natural methods you can do right in the comfort of your own home. Here are six ways to help stop—and control the side effects of—sweaty feet. 1.
A derm told me not to wash my face after the gym and my mind is blown
December 13, 2018 at 11:00AM No matter what type of workout I’m doing, my post sweat-sesh routine is exactly the same: Step 1) Wipe down my machine/yoga mat/spin bike; Step 2) Wipe down my face with a cleansing wipe. I’ve always thought that the only way to avoid breakouts was to get the sweat off of my skin as quickly as possible, so I tend to sprint to the locker room to do exactly that the second my cool down is over. But as I recently, mind-blowingly found out, swiping the sweat off of your face ASAP may not actually not the best way to handle post-workout skin care. “Sweat is your body’s most natural cleanser,” says dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD and founder of NYC’s Marmur Medical. “Working out every morning and getting at least a sheet of sweat on your face is sort of the best thing you can do for your acne, your rosacea, your dry skin—all your dermatitis.” Hold on while I pick my jaw off of the floor. She goes on: “For beautiful skin, sweating actually helps your body heal, it helps your body cleanse, it helps your body rev up those enzymes that need to create that radiant skin barrier,” she explains. “A lot of athletes have such beautiful skin and you’re like, ‘How is that possible? You’re super human.’ But they’re just doing everything right.” “Sweat is your body’s most natural cleanser.” —Ellen Marmur, MD Instead of going for the squeaky clean feeling by way of a wipe
The weird role hair follicles play in whether or not you get acne
December 13, 2018 at 09:29AM If you’ve been dealing with acne, you’ve probably tried it all: drinking copious amounts of water, trying every face mask in existence, totally cleaning up your diet, trying to get your hormones in check—you name it. (Not to mention having your derm on speed dial.) But if the struggle is still real after all this time, the root of the problem could be a little deeper. Like, hair follicle deep. In a study of nearly 27,000 people—5,602 of those with severe acne—published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers looked into which genetic traits those with acne shared. It turns out the shape of your hair follicles could make you more prone to acne due to your pores being the perfect environment for building up bacteria. While this finding might not provide you with a cure-all right now, it’s an eye-opening discovery that could change the game for fighting acne down the line. “Applying these genetic approaches to acne has never been done before, and it’s a significant leap forward,” lead study author and consultant dermatologist Jonathan Barker told The Guardian. “When you have insight into the genetic basis of a condition, you can develop much more effective treatments.” This study is definitely giving some peace of mind to anyone who’s been long struggling with the condition: You can’t do anything about your genetics—and your hair follicle shape, at that—if that’s what’s making you more susceptible. Hopefully, there will soon be a new treatment plan that can
Netflix’s “Dumplin’” is the ultimate feel-good movie to cure your holiday-flick fatigue
December 13, 2018 at 09:22AM “A swimsuit body is just a body with a swimsuit on it,” is just one of the many body-positive truth kernels sprinkled throughout the just-released beauty-pageant Netflix flick, Dumplin’. Basically, the Jennifer Aniston-backed, feel-great beauty-pageant movie is the holiday gift from the streaming gods you didn’t know you needed. Why? Amid a barrage of (totally bingeable) countdown-to-Christmas rom-coms, this new release has no seasonal peg at all. Its central plot isn’t even a love story. How refreshing, right? Our lead isn’t a workaholic ascending the career ladder while totally neglecting her personal life. Rather, she’s Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald), a plus-size teen in rural Texas who learned confidence—and Southern manners—from her confident-in-her-own-skin Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley), who passes away at the outset of the film. Will’s mom, Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), on the other hand, is a svelte former beauty queen still riding her small-town fame by way of running the very Miss Teen Bluebonnet competition that afforded her the crown years ago. Frustrated by the apparent ambivalence of her mom—who thoughtlessly, though not maliciously, calls Will “Dumplin’”—about the loss of Lucy, Will signs up for the pageant. She wants to honor her aunt’s legacy, and self-subscribing to the 85-year-old institution she feels to be her sample-size mom’s top priority seems like the best way. What comes next is not a story about a weight-obsessed heroine not-so-heroically shedding pounds in order to win the competition and prove to herself and everyone else that she’s worthy—in time for the end credits
This New Feature In Google Maps Could Reduce Traffic & Carbon Emissions
December 13, 2018 Here’s what you need to know Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue