December 20, 2018 at 10:37AM Did you see those boots? On Wednesday, with glittery thigh-high Balenciaga boots peeking out of her full-length gown, former first lady Michelle Obama brought some serious holiday sparkle to the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center—and set the internet ablaze. (Astrologer and writer Chani Nicholas pointed out that Obama, a Capricorn, wore them to usher in her sun-sign season, which kicks off December 22: “Capricorn showing up early for their own season. #OnBrand.”) During a sit-down with Sarah Jessica Parker, Obama talked clothes (how could she not with SJP?), but that was just the start. “She actually didn’t want to spend too much time on fashion,” says marketing executive Gabrielle Gibbs, who attended the sold-out event. “But she did say that being out of the White House has allowed her to really tap into herself and have fun—hence, the boots.” Obama updates her husband’s famous message of “hope” with an addendum: “Hope isn’t passive.” Obama delivered the serious shine when she offered lessons she had learned as part of the only African-American First Family in U.S. history. “Often time, when you’re the first or the only, the bar shifts a lot, right? The bar gets set, you meet it, exceed it, they move the bar,” Obama said, according to the Associated Press. Obama said that, as the first black American president, her husband felt as if no mistakes could be made. When they finally left the White House after eight years of intense pressure—always trying to measure up
Year: 2018
The 20 veggie challenge makes “eating the rainbow” look like child’s play
December 20, 2018 at 10:02AM If you always return from your Sunday grocery store outing with the the same three vegetables in tow, er, tote, I get it: You have your meal-prepping game down to a science. (And I too want to find a way to eat cauliflower at every single meal.) But here’s a case for shaking up your routine. The world has a bounty of veggies at your disposal, and Mia Rigden—a holistic health coach and chef—is throwing down the ultimate healthy eating challenge. No soups or juices involved, TG: She wants you to eat 20 (yes, 20!) veggies per week. Here’s the lowdown: Over the course of a week, Rigden wants you to eat 20 different kinds of vegetables. You can eat them as snacks, incorporate them into meals, prepare them however you want. Fresh or frozen, cooked or raw, it’s all fair game—as long as you’re eating 20 different veggies in a week. Rigden says she created the 20 veggie challenge after noticing that so much of the “getting healthy” narrative revolved around cutting things out (like sugar and ultra-processed grains) rather than all the delish ingredients you can add into your diet. She felt it was important for her clients to know that eating healthy isn’t about restrictions, it’s about bounty. There’s also an important nutritional component at play. “The more that I learned about nutrition, the more I realized that every vegetable has a unique mix of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and basically just nutrition that we need,” she
The warmest winter workout gear to make any sub-zero sweat sesh feel toasty
December 20, 2018 at 09:56AM With degrees dropping by the day, it’s only natural that your fitness routine slows down this time of year. Besides your busy December schedule (late night holiday parties do not bode well for early morning runs), the lower temps make it a real challenge to get out of bed and trade your flannel PJs for spandex leggings and bulky layers. The right clothing and accessories will make it a bit easier and motivating to get out there and brave the cold—whether you’re logging multiple outdoor miles or just trekking a few blocks to your warm, heated gym. Pieces that have extra features like insulation and wicking properties will help you keep your mind focused on your running mantra…instead of just repeating expletives about how cold it is. Of course, you need to layer up, but that doesn’t mean putting on every long sleeve shirt and sweatshirt you own. One more thing to keep in mind: As we all know (…and hate) the winter months give us less sunlight, which means reflectivity is super important. Pick products that offer visibility in low-light conditions and ensure you will be seen by cars passing by, pedestrians, and maybe, depending on where you live, a random deer. Safety should always be first and foremost with any fitness activity. From the tip of your toes to the top of your head, here are 11 pieces to efficiently keep up your fitness goals during the winter months. Photo: Asics Asics Gel-Kayano
Kayla Itsines is pregnant! Here’s how she’s changing up her workout
December 20, 2018 at 09:17AM Fitness superstar Kayla Itsines will be putting her signature burpee-heavy routines on the back-burner—at least for now. After officially announcing that she’s 20 weeks pregnant in a series of Instagram posts yesterday, the HIIT queen added that she fully intends on keeping her sweat sessions alive through the nine or so months ahead—but with a few modifications. When a follower, using IG’s question feature, asked Itsines exactly how she planned on switching her routine up, she answered, “I now do… modified exercises, lots of walking, no jumping [R.I.P., burpees], lower weight reps, and heart rate monitoring” You listening, soon-to-be mamas? View this post on Instagram Thank you SO MUCH everyone for all your amazing comments and support today Tobi and I have had the BEST DAY EVER!! I’m off to bed now, BUT in the morning I’ll be posting a workout video Keep in mind i’m literally HALF WAY (20 weeks pregnant). I’ve been active my whole pregnancy and I DO have a bump so just be prepared for that. It’s going to be so different for you ladies to see a different body than you have been used to seeing since 2013 .. but I’m soooo excited to share this with you! For now, we need sleep. It’s been a huge day. Thank you SO MUCH LADIES!! www.kaylaitsines.com/app #bbg A post shared by KAYLA ITSINES (@kayla_itsines) on Dec 20, 2018 at 3:00am PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js Joanie Johnson, co-founder of New York City’s Fit Pregnancy Club, says that
How to deal with HPV when you’re in a long-term relationship
December 20, 2018 at 07:59AM Many years ago, I was diagnosed with human papillomavirus, aka HPV. I’m not embarrassed to admit that, because it’s so common—about 80 percent of men and women will contract the often-symptomless sexually-transmitted infection in their lifetimes. But back then, I was a little bit freaked out about it—because I’d very recently made it official with the guy I was dating. Did he give it to me? Or did I get it from my previous partner, and now my new guy is at risk? And if both of us were infected, would we need to diligently use condoms for the next two years—the amount of time it can take for most strains of HPV to go away on their own—or risk passing the virus back and forth to each other for eternity, like “The Song that Never Ends”? I never asked my doctor these questions (too embarrassing at the time), but was reminded of them during a recent conversation with Natasha Bhuyan, MD, of One Medical in Phoenix, AZ. Although my HPV infection, and that guy, are no longer in my life, I asked her to settle all of my unanswered queries just in case a similar situation should arise in the future. (And because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering.) Well, I have HPV. How do I know if my partner has it, too? It’s complicated, says Dr. Bhuyan. A few strains of HPV cause genital warts in men and women, but if
What having a school counselor for a mom taught me about being a man
December 20, 2018 at 07:40AM “A lot of guys my age…they say, ‘Every day I think I’m becoming more like my dad,’” comedian John Mulaney tells an audience. “I think I’m becoming more like my mom.” Well, after re-reading some texts I sent to a friend who’s going through a tough breakup, it became clear that I, like Mulaney, am becoming my mom, too: “Hang in there, ok? Be kind to yourself.” “Small steps—one day at a time.” “Just checking in. How are you today? I love you.” While I definitely sent those affirmation iMessages, they were probably at one point direct quotes from one Felice Kassoy—the mother, the bubbe, and the LGBTQ+-advocating school counselor who scooped a casual PhD at age 57 and who, through nature and nurture, created me in her image. Growing up with her, as you might imagine, there was a lot of talking. A lot of emoting. A lot of learning how to feel, how to listen, and what to say. I was encouraged to express myself and, from an early age, to explore intellectual, emotional, and creative dimensions of myself, outside assumptions or expectations of what a heterosexual male—how I identify—is or should be. When I asked, Mom gladly took me to Claire’s to get my ear pierced in third grade; she loved when my older sister would give me hair wraps (remember those?!) during road trips; she was an enthusiastic supporter when I took up basketball and baseball and tennis, along with ballet and
Someone Please Just Tell Me, What Do I Eat to Maintain a Healthy Gut?
December 20, 2018 at 07:28AM https://content.jwplatform.com/players/0fssO50d-05dicDBi.js In our Asking for a Friend series, we’re teaming up with Renew Life®—makers of quality digestive wellness supplements for over 20 years—to answer W+G readers’ most-pressing questions about digestive health. In this edition, we go over which foods you should eat to maintain a healthy gut. Do you find yourself running—eating, rather—in circles trying to figure out which foods amp up your gut health, while simultaneously running away from the ones that cause digestive discomfort? Because, same. Some questions that come to mind: Does kombucha cause or combat bloating? Do bananas, er, keep things moving or cause constipation? Is it even possible to eat beans without getting gas? And the list goes on. Well you’re in luck, my digestively challenged friends. We tapped Nathalie Rhone, RD, to tell us point-blank what the heck to eat to keep our guts in check. So, cancel the random assortment of snacks you have lined up for tomorrow, and opt for these gut-friendly ingredients instead. Tune in to the video above to learn which foods actually help you reach healthy gut status. In partnership with Renew Life® Continue Reading… Author Well+Good Editors | Well and Good Selected by iversue
It’s time to channel Meghan Markle: Curtsying might be the key to your best booty ever
December 20, 2018 at 07:01AM I’m always looking for new ways to work my legs. Because, let’s be real: You can only do so many squats and lunges before you lunge your way to sleep. Just joking, but really—show me a split lunge or deadlift and I’ll happily add some in on leg day to switch things up. And then I discovered the curtsy lunge. The curtsy lunge is just what it sounds like: A workout form of the curtsy, aka the classic formal greeting that you’ve seen women in royal castles (ahem, Meghan Markle) or old Western movies do. Literally. You essentially take one leg behind the other and bend down, which, though it sounds simple, actually makes your glutes burn. Unlike regular lunges, the curtsy form (which is fun to do if you pretend you’re curtsying to the Queen of England) works your bum even more while strengthening your hip abductors and adductors. The thing is, one little yet common mistake can render the exercise not as effective and even lead to injury. “This is what I see all the time in class—you’re gonna go into a curtsy, you’re sticking your booty out, and your hip is gonna be super to the back,” says Megan Roup, obé fitness trainer who just led our Well+Good Retreat in Miami. “That is really incorrect.” So it’s wrong when your butt is over-extended and your hips are angled backwards. Nailing a curtsy lunge is all about keeping things straight. “You’re gonna cross that leg
Getting laid off right before the holidays totally sucked—but it ended up being a career win
December 20, 2018 at 07:00AM Remember that scene in Mean Girls, when Regina George gets hit by the big yellow school bus out of nowhere? I can say with confidence that’s what it feels like to get laid off from work during the holiday season. It happened to me the Monday before Thanksgiving. I had been working on a major national news magazine’s online team, where I wrote and edited stories about women’s career advice, mental health, and political interests. It seemed like a normal Monday until the deputy editor asked me to chat for a minute. I met him in a conference room with a notebook, assuming that we were going to discuss a new project. Instead, he closed the door and before either of us could sit down, he informed me that my job would be terminating in two weeks. He then handed me a business card with the name of someone in HR, told me to call her to go over the specifics, and left the room. I stood there, alone, totally dumbstruck. I almost wanted to laugh, because it was definitely a joke, right? This was not happening. It could not be happening to me. I immediately found another empty room where I could call my mom and cry a bit. I texted my boyfriend, my brother, and three of my closest friends the news. I emailed as many of my mentors and former colleagues as I could to let them know what happened, because I
Castor oil is the under-the-radar hair ingredient to keep your eye on
December 20, 2018 at 05:46AM My current skin-care and hair-care pursuit: Finding an oil that balances the skin and scalp without leaving a trace of being there. It’s a tall order and only the best-of-the-best find their way to empties status. I’ve long loved argan oil for its ability to, at once, mend damage and help protect hair from hot tools, but lately, it’s castor oil’s benefits for hair that have been catching my attention. “Castor oil comes from the seeds of a castor bean plant known as Ricinus communis,” says Dominic Burg, MD, chief scientist and hair biologist at Evolis Professional. “It’s considered to be poisonous, but the oil extracted from the seeds is quite beneficial for the hair.” Like plenty of other natural oils (such as tea tree and eucalyptus, for instance), castor oil is pretty good at resetting strands. “Castor oil is commonly used to ward off skin infections since it’s a known antibacterial, anti-fungal ingredient,” says Dr. Burg. Another perk? It’s rich in fatty acids. “The oil’s high in vitamin E and omega 6 fatty acids, so it works as a brilliant hair conditioner and natural emollient.” It’s also good for helping to revitalize your strands, according to Pedro Catalá, pharmacist, cosmetologist, and founder of Twelve Beauty. “It leaves the hair brighter also due to its high concentration of antioxidants.” He adds that it’s also rich with proteins and other nourishing minerals, which help to strengthen hair and over time and with repeated use make it stronger.