February 05, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC The farthest I’ll go in terms of “doing” my hair begins and ends with a blow dryer. I’m trying if I’m not just letting my hair air dry, and that’s exactly why I don’t feel like myself whenever I get a blow-out. It’s inevitably uber-smooth or loaded with Disney princess curls, and all I can do is count down the seconds until I can mess it up. But then I got my hair done by Kendall Dorsey. The celebrity hairstylist—who’s worked with Solange and Nicki Minaj—understood the undone, texture-filled blowout I was going for. Not only did my hair turn out looking fantastic, but Dorsey taught me how to replicate the look at home, and it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever learned. The technique is called hand styling, and even those who hate blowouts can do it (AKA me). “All I’m doing is making an S-shape with your hair and scrunching it,” says Dorsey as he demonstrates on my damp lengths. “You then just squeeze it for 5 to 7 seconds under a diffuser and it’ll give it a loose wave. When I release my hand it’s gonna set it—and once you dry it, that’s how it sits.” He likens it to the roller days of yore. “It’s the same format as that,” Dorsey explains. “While holding that S shape, you put the hair dryer over it and it gives you that Carrie Bradshaw full, wavy hair.” What my dreams are made of. While my goal
Month: February 2019
Yep, hot yoga can turn your face into a burning, itchy mess—here’s how to deal
February 05, 2019 at 06:28AM by CWC This time of year, hot yoga classes are packed. It’s a way to temporarily escape the piercing cold and pretend you’re flowing in the sweltering heat of a tropical island. While some people don’t experience any negative affects from downward-dogging at temperatures reaching 105 degrees, hot yoga skin irritation overshadows any enjoyment for others. Experts have noted that frequent attendance at hot yoga classes can cause discoloration and persistent redness due to the heat triggering your skin’s pigment-producing cells. But if your skin is even mildly sensitive, you might experience an immediate reaction to excessive heat. “Hot yoga in particular can be especially irritating to your skin because it raises your core body temperature from the inside out, triggering what’s known as an inflammatory cascade,” says esthetician Jeannel Astarita, founder and CEO of Just Ageless in New York City. “The heat and inflammation causes the moisture that you naturally have in your skin to evaporate rapidly, leaving your skin dry, dehydrated, and irritated.” Luckily, there are some ways you can prepare your skin that might be able to help alleviate the irritation. “Use a gentle cleanser before your hot yoga class, and wash up immediately after to rid your face of oils and bacteria, which can sometimes cause breakouts, itching, or dryness on the skin. Then, apply a hydrating water-based moisturizer,” says Lana Pinchasov, a dermatology-certified physician’s assistant in New York City. Also, bring along a trusty, ice-cold water bottle for the ultimate relief. “The night before you go to
I opted out of these 3 popular things, and I’ve never been happier
February 05, 2019 at 05:32AM by CWC I’m a single guy, and I haven’t ever used a dating app (I did once upon a time use the dating site OkCupid—more on that later). I’ve never had my work Slack or email on my phone. I haven’t posted on Instagram in well over a year. And believe it or not, my dating, professional, and social lives have never been better. To be clear, I’m not some kind of ascetic or martyr or one of those people who decided to live in the woods without technology. (No judgment though!) I have an iPhone, watch Netflix, and go down deep YouTube rabbit holes. I definitely haven’t rejected modernity or pop culture, but I’ve tried over the past few years to be more aware of what I think I can’t live without and what I actually can’t live without. I want to distinguish between a want and a need, and I want to need as little as possible. When I Kondo-ed my apartment last year, I realized I’ve been gradually decluttering my life for years—paring down and simplifying and finding myself happier, calmer, and more self-actualized. Specifically when it comes to how I interact with technology. Below are a few techy things I’ve opted out of already. Photo: Julia Garan 1. Instagram (and pretty much social media in general) It started with deleting my personal Facebook page in lieu of a professional one, where I used to but now rarely post my writing. My
Grab a bowl: Noodles are healthy if you choose the right kind
February 05, 2019 at 05:31AM by CWC Whether you’re braving the polar vortex, battling a winter cold, or deep into a post-breakup Netflix binge, there’s one food that’s guaranteed to make you feel a whole lot warmer and fuzzier: noodles. Clearly, the ultimate comfort dish is good for our emotional health, as anyone who’s inhaled a steamy bowl of ramen on a sub-zero day can attest. But is it just as beneficial from a nutritional perspective? With fingers firmly crossed, I checked in with dietician Brooke Alpert, RD, to find out. Lucky for all of us, she had good news. “Noodles and pasta can be a healthy choice, depending on what they are made out of,” the dietician told me. (Phew!) Here are the healthy noodles she loves the most: 1. Kelp noodles Kelp noodles received top marks from Alpert, as they’re rich in key minerals. “Kelp noodles have calcium and magnesium and, unlike traditional white flour pasta, will not cause a huge spike in your blood sugar,” she explains. This gluten-free seaweed noodle (made from the powdered flesh of kelp) is often served raw, but it’s just as delish as a base for pad Thai and pho. 2. Shirataki noodles Alpert’s also a fan of high-fiber, gluten-free shirataki noodles—another A+ option for homemade pad Thai—which are made from yam flour. (Tituss Burgess is another shirataki lover, although his go-to option is made with tofu and yam.) 3. Mung bean pasta If you’re more into Italian-style noodles, Alpert recommends trying mung
You don’t have to do a million pull-ups to test your arm strength—just go to a rings class
February 05, 2019 at 05:05AM by CWC When the opening ceremonies of the Olympics grace my television every fourth summer, I always commit to watching everything. After all, these people train countless hours for the betterment of their sports, so who am I not to tune in for everything from “equestrian dressing” to “artistic swimming?” Inevitably I take the bronze medal in this lofty goal, but gymnastics is the one sport I never, never miss out on. What’s behind this amazement with people flinging themselves through the air? Good question. Maybe it’s because it’s a lot like extreme yoga: The competitors go upside down, contort their bodies in every which way, and ultimately—they stick the landing. It’s inspiring. And because we’re still over a year away from the return of the summer Olympics, I recently signed up for an adult gymnastics class of sorts, which promised to teach me the basics of rings (a gymnastics iteration that only men compete in during the games). After a 60-minute session, I have an even deeper respect for the athletes who support their entire body weight on two circles of wood. Because here’s the thing: The Crunch Gym class that I took, which is called “The Ring Thing,” featured a harness that takes away 50 percent of your body weight—and most of the moves still felt like someone had strapped sandbags to my feet. The very act of pulling up my body felt like, well, an Olympic effort. (Read: My arms and abs really
5, um, creative methods for clocking in all my steps during the winter
February 05, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Wearable fitness trackers may be good news for your health, but trust me when I say that step-counting changes you. I no longer leisurely stroll; now I mean business as I ascend—3409, 3410, 3411—all in an obsessive quest to hit my 10,000 step count benchmark OTD. And ironically, I use my iPhone to track my steps, which is hardly known for its accuracy. (In fact, one study found the iPhone undercounted by an average of 1,340 steps a day.) This means I work I’m trying to reach a number I can’t even count on. Yet, loyal to the mission I remain, even in the face of seasonal frigid temps coaxing me away from my running shoes to tend to my running nose. Well, good news for all wintertime hygge priorities: The science backing up that 10K-step gold standard is shaky at best. One study published in the International Journal of Obesity notes that to boost your metabolism, 15,000 steps is best to shoot for. And, um, I’m def not lacing up my snow boots and wrapping myself in a blarf for that, which, according to one doc, is A-okay—it’s more important to make sure you’re moving regularly. “If you really enjoy counting steps and utilize that metric to help prompt you to remain physically active, then go for it,” says physician Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe, MD. “However, if you have serious medical problems that hinder you from ambulating, you’ll need to discuss with your doctor other exercise alternatives that
The derm-backed reason using too much eye cream is actually counterproductive
February 05, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC When dealing with acne, my personal protocol used to be to pile on the spot treatments, because it felt like if I just smothered the zit in salicylic acid, it’d drown and die. I’m the same with eye creams—in a Herculean effort to plump and prevent further fine lines beneath my eyes, I tend to lay on my creams nice and thick. Well, you guys—this is completely counterproductive. At a recent facial, esthetician Charlotte King was applying Emma Hardie eye serum ($67), and told me that just a pea-sized dollop for both eyes is fine. Sure, sure. But then she went on to say that using too much eye cream actually has the opposite effect of what you’re looking for. “When we are tired or haven’t had enough sleep, the natural thing to do is say: ‘Oh my god—I need to put on extra eye serum or eye cream at night,’” she says. “But then you wake up in the morning and see that your eyes are puffy. Well, it’s because you put too much on.” In other words, while the under eyes need extra moisture and care, the thinnest skin on the body doesn’t need product to be globbed on or else it’ll react by packing those bags. I looked to a dermatologist to confirm, and it’s true. “If you use too much eye cream at one time, initially the excess product will pill and the product will not stay in place or
Happy Lunar New Year! Here’s What The Year Of The Pig Symbolizes
February 05, 2019 at 01:07AM Come on out of the doghouse—there’s a party in the pen! Continue Reading… Come on out of the doghouse—there’s a party in the pen! As we celebrate the Chinese (Lunar) New Year this February 5, 2019, the Year of the Earth Pig begins, kicking off the night before with the Lunar New Year’s Eve on February 4. After two intense years, this convivial cycle gives us a chance to “rest and digest.” The pregnant pause of 2019 might even help us make some sense of all the global mudslinging that’s been going around. Serenity now? The pleasant and genial Earth Pig’s arrival will be a welcome relief after 2018’s Earth Dog antics. Here’s what we can expect for the year ahead: 1. An open-door policy will be reinstated, since the Earth Pig’s M.O. is far more welcoming. Dogs are pack animals, and in the past year, groups have stuck together out of “loyalty” at times, to a fault. It’s widely agreed that the world has never felt more divided, and no surprise that the coop-stalking energy of 2017’s Rooster and the border-guarding vibes of 2018’s Dog spiraled into xenophobic extremes. To wit, hate crimes have increased internationally, and last year saw the tragic separation of children from parents who were seeking asylum at the U.S. border. This friendly creature can be quite the social butterfly, with pals from all walks of life. In 2019, a good bottle of vino—not a good fence—makes a good neighbor.
The Surprising Thing That’s Putting Your Brain Health At Risk, According To New Research
February 05, 2019 at 01:00AM A new study, published in the journal Neurology, demonstrates the connection between high blood pressure and less gray matter in the brain. Continue Reading… Author Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D. | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
Wim Hof, Guinness World Record Holder, On Biohacking With Extreme Cold & Breath
February 05, 2019 And why our breath is our greatest tool. Continue Reading… Author Jason Wachob | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue