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Day: March 16, 2019

2019 Health

How I survived a hair-destroying “chemical cut”—and how to make sure you never get one

4 min read

March 16, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC When you move to New York City, there are a lot of sticker-shock moments, the top three being rent, rent, and rent. Number four, of course, is: broker’s fee. (Non-New Yorkers, Google it and weep for us.) But for me, the most surprising torpedo to my wallet was hair care. For a highlights-and-haircut combo in any half-decent place, it cost nearly twice what I was paying back home in Dallas at one of the best salons in the city. So when I moved my home base upstate to the Catskills a couple years ago, I was really excited to get that sweet, sweet budget balayage again. And at first, it was everything I hoped. But in the last few months I noticed the top of my hair, where most of the highlights were, seemed thinner than the hair underneath—and those top sections had ends that tended to frizz out no matter how I styled it. I didn’t recognize it, because in 20 years of getting highlights this had never happened to me, but these were classic signs of hair breakage. As in, when your locks just break off at random spots because they’ve gotten so damaged. (Gasp.) I was alerted to the problem by a NYC colorist who fit me in while I was blizzard-bound in the city a few weeks ago (and desperately in need of roots help). I pointed out what I naively thought were “baby hairs” growing in (oh the

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2019 Health Fashion Vegetarians

See ya, plastic—your faux-leather look is getting an earth-friendly upgrade

4 min read

March 16, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC My best friend was diagnosed with celiac disease when we were in high school, about six or seven years before gluten-free became mainstream. As her best friend, I had the distinct joy of trying out the (small amount of) gluten-free baked goods that were available at the time, and they were terrible. Flash forward, and TBH you can find some gluten-free goods that taste better than their wheat-based counterparts. I’m reminded of this as I try to put into words the trajectory of vegan leather. Before “sustainable fashion” became more mainstream, some of the only real leather alternatives you had were made out of new plastic. The first vegan leather jacket I purchased was, unfortunately, made out of 100 percent plastic. So, not only was it not great for the environment, it was also squeaky if I even slightly moved my arms. It also made me super sweaty because—surprise—plastic is not very breathable. In the many years since then, I’ve become a much more conscious consumer. So while leather is bad for the environment, just because a fabric is vegan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s environmentally friendly. Luckily, there has been innovation in recent years in leather alternative fabrics—they look like leather and feel like leather, but aren’t leather. They’re also better for the environment than leather and leather alternatives like plastic. They’re like the amazing gluten-free mini cake I had yesterday versus the cardboard-y gluten free bagel of 13 years ago. Only, you

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2019 Health Fashion

If a good cry is healthy, the new season of “Queer Eye” has gotta be a cure-all

5 min read

March 16, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC What does a perfect day look like for you? Maybe it includes an epic meal, jet-setting adventures, romantic moments that make Call Me By Your Name seem gray and boring, and of course: cathartic sobbing. (Just me?) Any great day for me can be made better by getting at least a little teary, because the high from that release is the quickest stress-buster I know. Medical experts agree that letting those tears flow, even if they come up at unexpected moments (like yoga class, during movies, and even, yikes, post-orgasm), is really good for you. So if you judge Queer Eye seasons purely on sob factor (again, just me?), let me give the third outing for the Fab Five, which dropped yesterday on Netflix, a hearty two (Kleenex-covered) thumbs up. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. Watching Queer Eye is like a beautiful detox to cleanse your tear ducts, your eyes, your lymphatic system, and your very soul. Or at least it feels that way. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. It was a cultural moment where America took a break from its red state-blue state stalemate for some seriously therapeutic hugs. ( Oh, A.J…I hope you and your stepmom are okay.) And this season, as it strays further from

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2019 Health

Strike burpees from the TDL: Trainers hate them as much as you do

5 min read

March 16, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC I try to refrain from groaning aloud in group fitness classes. Grunting, cheering, gasping for breath—all of those I do regularly. But I’ve never been the type to outwardly “boo” when an instructor announces what’s coming up next in the workout. Except, that is, when I’m asked to do burpees. The notoriously difficult move can be done in a bunch of different ways, but the most common involves the following steps: squatting down, kicking your legs behind you so you’re in a plank, a push-up, jumping your feet back in, and jumping explosively up. But burpees don’t come in sets of just one. I’ve been asked to do thirty burpees in a row, work through a ladder count of burpees, and, somehow hardest of all, do burpees for the entire length of Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry.” Even though I’ve never exactly enjoyed flinging myself onto the ground only to jump back up, I’ve always justified the move with the fact that it’s a favorite of so many trainers. Burpees just feel hardcore. But Ben Bruno, celebrity trainer who works with clients like Kate Upton and Chelsea Handler, is here to change my (and hopefully some of my trainers’) minds. In fact, he recently shared an anti-burpee manifesto on Insta. In an all-text Instagram post titled “Why I Don’t Like Burpees,” Bruno shared some of the downsides of the popular exercise. Some of his qualms lie within the move itself: “High-impact exercise puts undo

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2019 Health Keto Relaxation

7 super-attainable habits Halle Berry swears by to stay healthy

4 min read

March 16, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC If you follow Berry on Instagram, you know the 50-something actress (how is that possible?) is super into fitness. The Oscar winner-turned-action hero—who’s still the only black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress, BTW—frequently posts tips and hardcore workouts with her trainer Peter Lee Thomas. And yes, Berry is just as much of a buff badass in real life as she is on screen. And on top of that, she’s a regular pro when it comes to healthy eating and making self-care a priority. And best of all: She’s generous with advice! (Which is great, because who doesn’t want to get Halle-healthy?) With a fierce wellness résumé like that, she’s got a lot to share—and these are the seven health habits the ageless superstar relies on year in, year out. 1. She trains with Bulgarian bags You know, the super-heavy sand-filled bags that are commonly used by Olympic athletes and wrestlers. No big deal. After her trainer introduced them to her, she was instantly hooked and uses them for strength training, cardio, and plyometrics. Even five minutes swinging or carrying around one of them—which can weigh up to 50 pounds—will leave you sore for days. 2. She improvises her workouts As a huge lover of all things fitness, Berry isn’t going to let a day go by without moving her body in some way. Case in point? Transforming a gallon jug of water in her fridge into a kettlebell for a sweat-inducing series of

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