March 25, 2019 at 10:23AM by CWC Whenever I need to reignite my commitment to going to the gym, my Netflix/Hulu/HBO streaming queues aren’t exactly my first stop for inspiration. Watching The Haunting of Hill House and The Handmaid’s Tale made me want to burrow beneath covers forever. And the weekend I watched Big Little Lies in its entirety, I don’t believe I moved off the couch. After watching Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s The Titan Games (which is now streaming on Hulu), however, my opinion on the power of television has forever been changed. If you haven’t yet caught an episode, allow me to IMDb-debrief you. During each episode, the strongest of the strong compete against one another in a course designed straight from Johnson’s imagination. There’s smashing, pushing and pulling, and other tests of brawn that would make Zeus himself break into a sweat. Even better, the people who come on the The Titan Games aren’t professional athletes. They’re average badasses who schedule fitness into their free-time (you know, just like you and me). After facing off against one another, the winner makes it to a final round where they compete to become the titan. There’s smashing, pushing and pulling, and other tests of brawn that would make Zeus himself break into a sweat. With his ebullient charisma and (yes) enviable muscle mass, Johnson has convinced me that setting up my time in the gym as an obstacle course will stoke my naturally-competitive nature while—hopefully—unlocking my untapped potential of
Month: March 2019
Your no-nonsense guide to pegging, from sexperts who know the ins and outs
March 25, 2019 at 10:04AM by CWC Since sex-ed left a ton of us high and dry (like, very dry) when it comes to implementing info we can really use, let’s just cut right to the chase about pegging: “The term refers specifically to a sexual practice in which a woman performs anal sex on a man, using a strap-on dildo,” says sexual-wellness expert and director of education at sex-toy brand Satisfyer Megwyn White. The term was born in 2001 as a result of columnist Dan Savage’s contest for coining a term to describe strap-on play between a woman and a man, because at the time, it was somehow a dictionary blank space. But as pegging has continued to make its way into the popular conscience (thanks, Broad City!), queer and non-binary folks have started using the term, too. “It’s become a more fluid term as gender boundaries have become less rigid,” says brand manager at luxury sex-toy company LELO. And it’s good news, considering the healthy effects experts say pegging allows for. First, there’s the physical pleasure to account for: For men, pegging targets the prostate gland (essentially the male G-spot), and many describe the resulting sensation as a full-body orgasm, says Alicia Sinclair, sex educator and CEO of anal-sex-product company b-Vibe. “It’s usually different than other orgasms. It’s full-force.” While she adds that the pegger may also find the act to be physically stimulating in addition to empowering, pegging can notably cater to the general health of any
7 healthy reasons why we should all be eating more watermelon
March 25, 2019 at 08:31AM by CWC It’s officially spring (despite what my weather app tells me) which means that obviously I’m thinking ahead to summer. Summer vacations, barbecues, picnics, cocktails, the whole nine yards. And honestly, nothing sums up summer quite like watermelon. Sadly, watermelons (which, surprise, are technically berries!), have gotten a bad rap as of late with keto-devotees and others because of how sweet they are. They have to have tons of sugar in them, right? Wrong. Watermelons are actually relatively low in sugar compared to other fruits. A one-cup serving of diced watermelon has nine grams of sugar. That’s less than what you’d get from a cup of mango (23 grams), banana (18 grams), or even apples (11 grams). So let’s just nip that false rumor in the bud right now. And with that nine grams of sugar, you’re also getting a helluva lot of nutrition, too, from antioxidants to fiber and potassium. So if you ever need receipts for someone hating on your go-to summer treat, just show them this list of all of the health benefits of watermelon. Anyone else feeling vindicated? What are the health benefits of watermelon? 1. Watermelon is high in cancer-fighting lycopene: Watermelon can credit its gorgeous pink-red hue to the antioxidant lycopene. “Lycopene is an antioxidant and anti-cancer nutrient that can be consume raw and is bioavailable (useable by the body),” says Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, the founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition. Of course, watermelon alone won’t safeguard
The Connection Between Dust & Weight Gain You Need To Know About
March 25, 2019 at 08:33AM PSA for anyone thinking of skimping on spring cleaning this year. Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
The 8-ingredient smoothie a functional medicine doctor makes every morning
March 25, 2019 at 08:16AM by CWC Smoothies are an OG healthy breakfast and an easy way to get a serving of greens first thing in the morning. (Ahh, fiber, the key to everything.) But let’s be real: sometimes they just aren’t all that filling. Functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD, has definitely done his fair share of smoothie experimentation and he’s mastered the perfect mix of greens, proteins, and healthy fats that’s filling enough that won’t leave your stomach rumbling an hour after your glass is empty. Now, he’s sharing it with everyone so we can all reap the benefits. Dr. Hyman follows the pegan diet, aka the Paleo vegan diet. “A pegan diet is low-glycemic, high in plant foods, low in sugar, and includes adequate protein for appetite control and muscle synthesis,” Dr. Hyman explains. So what’s in his pegan-approved smoothie recipe he starts every day with? Eight key ingredients: almond milk, zucchini, berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, almonds, collagen, and MCT oil. View this post on Instagram Morning routines are very important. Here is mine: I wake up, meditate for 20 minutes, make coffee with my wife, and we do this little exercise together, a conversation that’s called “What’s Up Below?” It’s basically a deeper conversation around where we are both at for the day and starts us off feeling connected. Then I usually make a little food, maybe a shake, or some pasture-raised eggs with tomatoes and olive oil, before heading to work. Smoothies are
Nutrition school is now in session, and its dean is Keri Glassman
March 25, 2019 at 07:45AM by CWC When renowned nutritionist and prolific author Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, was first starting out in the field, she made herself a binder that outlined her exact protocol for seeing clients. “I always thought of it as a nutrition practice in a box,” she says. She revealed the contents to the wider world when she launched The Nutritious Life Studio in 2014 (at the time it was called the Nutrition School), unveiling a 12-week online education program (plus bonus expert classes) that delivers an entirely new kind of nutrition training. The program provides practical advice that helps RDs build their businesses, while also allowing other wellness pros—like trainers, yoga teachers, and healthy chefs—to add nutrition credentials to their resumes. Coursework for The Nutritious Life Studio focuses on topics like how to counsel clients effectively, how to keep up with and share new scientific research with clients, and also how to turn a passion for healthy eating into a viable business, she explains, things that go beyond being able to discuss the composition and benefits of kale (although that has got to be a pre-req in this day and age). The inspiration Glassman is known for her well-rounded approach to eating (and living) well—which includes sleep, stress, and sex advice as often as it includes salad recipes—and for making it accessible. “I can give you that information in a way that’s inspiring and motivates you to put it into practice.” But that style, which
Apple cider vinegar is the secret weapon for perfectly poached eggs
March 25, 2019 at 07:44AM by CWC Whether plopped on top of your avocado toast or paired with a roasted sweet potato, a poached egg is a delicious way to add some protein to your brekkie. But it’s also one of the more intimidating stovetop techniques. Scrambled? No problem. Over easy? Sure. But poached? To master that method you’d better have a degree in culinary arts, right? Not so, says Nick Korbee. The chef at the perennially-mobbed New York City brunch spot Egg Shop has spent hours in the kitchen refining the process. He landed on a five-step plan to perfectly poach your eggs every single time. With this easy-to-follow method, you’ll never wind up with a messy, undercooked toast-topper ever again. How to poach an egg, according to chef Nick Korbee 1. Get the water temperature right First heat up some water on the stove, keeping the temperature between 175 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. “You should be able to see tiny champagne-like bubbles,” he says. 2. Add some acid If you need further proof apple cider vinegar truly does it all, this is it. “Two tablespoons of vinegar, lemon juice, or ACV all work,” he says. “Just don’t use one that’s too colorful—like red wine vinegar—or it will make your eggs look weird.” Once you land on your add-in, mix it into your almost-boiling water. 3. Crack the egg Next comes the egg. For the best results, make sure they’re fresh and be gentle. “The idea is that the closer
Why you should always toss a tennis ball into your carry-on
March 25, 2019 at 07:01AM by CWC At this point, you’re probably adept at packing a carry-on bag to perfection. Lavender essential oil? Check. Moisturizer? Check. Chic headphones? Check. The one thing you’re missing, though? A tennis ball. It might sound strange—unless, you know, you’re a tennis player—but one doctor made a case for toting around the small yellow orb while traveling. Ali Ghoz, MD, a London-based surgeon, told Daily Star that the ball make is the perfect tool for stretching mid-flight and massaging painful knots and muscle aches. (Because you can only crawl over your neighbor to walk it off so many times before they start to hate you.) Increase circulation in your body by rolling a tennis ball everywhere from your shoulders and lower back to legs and the bottoms of your feet, Dr. Ali Ghoz said. If you have a tennis ball, Dr. Ghoz said you can increase circulation in your body by rolling it everywhere from your shoulders and lower back to legs and the bottoms of your feet, as well as any other trigger points. Just hold the bright-yellow round to whatever area you choose, apply pressure, and feel your muscles start to loosen up. Don’t worry if you don’t have a tennis ball on hand, though. Ghoz also noted you can use other methods too: “If you don’t have a massager, you can use your hands to stroke your muscles from the ankles upward, which will get the blood flowing back to your heart,” he told Daily Star. Aside from giving yourself a mini massage, Ghoz mentioned drinking water regularly to
Dear diary, I heard journaling can improve my love life…so I’m sharpening my pencils
March 25, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC The other day, I was talking to my mom, and she mentioned that she’d found a box of my old journals from college. I knew exactly what was in them: page after cringe-y page of whining and complaining and pining over my on-again, off-again boyfriend of four years. So I asked her to burn them and throw the ashes in her cat’s litter box, because closure. (Not bitter, swear!) I haven’t been big on journaling about my love life since my dorm-room days, mainly because it never ended up being very productive back then. (Clearly, my emo musings didn’t help that doomed relationship.) But it turns out I may have just been approaching the journaling thing from the wrong angle. According to Laura Rubin, who hosts creative journaling workshops and retreats as the founder of notebook brand Allswell Creative, writing down your feelings is a powerful tool for relationships because by doing it, you get to know the number-one most important person in your life: yourself. “The quality of any romantic relationship is going to be directly correlated to your own self-worth,” she says. “You are the person you really need to get to know, and journaling is a great ally in that process.” “The quality of any romantic relationship is going to be directly correlated to your own self-worth. You are the person you really need to get to know, and journaling is a great ally in that process.” —Laura Rubin, founder
These Two Quick Breathing Practices Will Calm Your Racing Thoughts
March 25, 2019 at 03:26AM They take less than 10 minutes and will transform your day! Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue