April 16, 2019 at 01:04PM by CWC Working out at home puts you in outfit limbo. Should I dirty up my favorite tie-dye sports bra even though no one’s around to drop a compliment? Should I throw caution to the wind and vinyasa the morning away in your PJs? If anyone would know, it’s the founder of workout company b.cm. Fitness entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ activist Bethany C. Meyers says the ideal outfit is one you might not have considered—your most snuggly pair of granny panties. “I started working out in my underwear as a way to say, ‘f*ck bikini-body ready,’” says Meyers. “This is so personal, and so safe, and so from within.” The idea originally came from posting #teamnopants workout videos on Instagram. Pretty soon, Meyers’ followers began to emulate the outfit choice and pants became kind of irrelevant. “I started working out in my underwear as a way to say, ‘f*ck bikini-body ready.’” So much of the cultural narrative surrounding our bodies touts a very specific, non-inclusive form of beauty. We’re on our way to changing that, but in the interim, the underwear you sport through a round of house burpees are worn for you (and only you). “I realized that the bikini is this item of clothing that you wear for the public,” says Meyers. “You wear it outside of your house, sometimes you feel nervous wearing it. It’s like the thing you wear for other people.” Meyers isn’t the only public figure who’s taken to nixing
Month: April 2019
A dermatologist says *this* is how often you should be showering
April 16, 2019 at 12:59PM by CWC In this world, there are two types of showerers. There are the get-in-there-and-get-it done types who hop in the tub with the mere purpose of cleaning their bodies. Then there are the folks who like to turn their showers into a full-on experience complete with fresh eucalyptus, essential oil-infused body wash and delicious-smelling body scrubs (guilty!). You get the picture. If you fall into the latter category, then you know showers can be pretty time consuming and sometimes, let’s face it, you just can’t be bothered. You’ve got important things to do! People to see! Which begs the question: How often should you actually be showering? Here, we asked Beverly Hills dermatologist Jennifer Herrmann, MD, FAAD all of the most pressing shower-related questions. So how often should you be showering? The short answer: It depends on your lifestyle. “If you’re very physically active or work in an environment where you’re exposed to chemicals, dirt, or dust, showering daily or twice daily may be ideal to keep skin clean,” says Dr. Herrmann. “For the average person, once daily usually suffices.” The news-breaking caveat here is that you don’t actually need to use soap all over your body every single day. “Excess cleanser strips the skin of natural oils and disrupts the native microbiome—the normal milieu of organisms that live on the skin and help keep it healthy—which can lead to dryness and worsen certain skin conditions like eczema,” Dr. Herrmann explains. Just imagine all
Dr. Pimple Popper ranks the best ingredients to get rid of zits—and fast
April 16, 2019 at 12:31PM by CWC Dermatologist Sandra Lee knows a thing or two about pimples. After all, they don’t call her “Dr. Pimple Popper” for nothing. Which means that in addition to squeezing the life out of the grossest zits the Internet has ever seen (… I’m one of those people who can’t go anywhere near her Instagram feed without gagging), she also knows exactly how to treat them when they aren’t ready to blow their contents all over your bathroom mirror. She’ll be the first to tell you that you should leave the pimple popping to the pros—because, who knows, it could even land you a spot on national television!—which means that it’s in your best interest to use ingredients to treat them instead of the pads of your fingers. To find out which ingredients, exactly, you should be using, we asked Dr. Lee to share her favorites for treating the three most common types of acne… no actual popping required. For blackheads, whiteheads, and acne-related dark spots: salicylic acid Ever wondered what Dr. Pimple Popper’s “favorite” skin-care ingredient is? Look no further than salicylic acid. “It can do wonders as a spot treatment,” she says. “Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that that crystalizes to a small enough size, allowing it to settle down within our pores to clean them from the inside out thereby preventing the accumulation of dead skin cells, debris, and oil which provide the perfect environment for pimples to live. It’s a
Why sitting still in your workout is just as effective as your sweatiest moves
April 16, 2019 at 12:08PM by CWC Whenever I’m getting my sweat on, I undoubtedly aim to move myself harder/bester/faster/stronger. I like to feel like I’m truly kicking my own butt, and leave my workout exhausted sore. Hence why any workout class that’s meant to move slowly—or even not at all—is super challenging for me (sup SLT?!). In actuality though, fitness trainers don’t necessarily say that you need to be going so hard to get the best results out of your workout. Enter “still” exercises, like yoga’s boat poses and Pilates’ hollow holds, which can give your sweaty moves a run for their money. “A still exercise is also known as an isometric exercise in the fitness industry,” says Autumn Calabrese, Beachbody super trainer and creator of 21 Day Fix. “Isometric exercises are beneficial because they don’t add a lot of extra impact to your joints and can be performed without any equipment. They’re good for building strength without impact or full range of motion, which is great for someone who’s recovering from an injury or just wants to take it easy on their joints.” You can make these moves even harder by adding weights, too. “This puts the muscle under tension for a longer period of time, which is what’s needed for gains in strength,” she adds. Of course, these muscle-blasting moves do come with certain limitations. “Isometric contraction only increases muscular strength in the exact position you’re engaging,” Calabrese explains. “So you need to perform various isometric exercises to
The 7 little words a psychotherapist says your inner critic needs to hear
April 16, 2019 at 11:12AM by CWC In Disney’s fairy tale Rapunzel, the evil witch belts a solo about all the reasons the princess deserves to be locked away from the outside world. She’s “ditzy,” “naive,” “clumsy,” “gullible,” and altogether unfit to fulfill her dreams. My inner geek is convinced that the witch is in fact a metaphor for the inner critic. We’re trapped within a self-imposed tower built upon a shaky foundation. We ask ourselves, “What is wrong with me?” And yet, we could toss our hair out the window, climb down from the prison of self-criticism, and live our lives boldly. Psychoanalyst and author Susan Henkels agrees. In her 45 years of talking clients through their perceived weaknesses, she has discovered that asking yourself one simple question—What if there’s nothing wrong with me?—can help quash self-limiting beliefs. “I’m not saying there isn’t anything wrong with you right now,” she said in a talk at the TEDxSedona conference. “I’m just saying, what if there [wasn’t]? Could you have more confidence and courage to do something that you’ve always been passionate about?” Asking yourself the question doesn’t mean you’re calling yourself the living, breathing embodiment of perfection. It’s really about deleting a narrative that says you’re not enough so you can get to the good stuff. “We really do create this whole list of what we think is wrong and then create an entire life around decisions we made probably when we were five-years-old,” says Henkels. “Wouldn’t it be nice
This is how to order at Chipotle like a registered dietician
April 16, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC Your friends may have opposing views on yoga versus HIIT or beach versus mountains. But everyone agrees that Chipotle is delicious. It’s also a blessedly safe haven for all types of eaters, from Paleo and keto to vegan and vegetarian. Even nutritionists and dietitians love Chipotle. But what’s the best Chipotle order when you want to make your meal as healthy as possible? Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives the fast food chain her seal of approval in the latest episode of You Versus Food, while also breaking down what makes a healthy order and what doesn’t. She has a simple formula to keep in mind when crafting your meal. “Your starting point should be either a bowl or salad,” Beckerman says, saying that tortilla chips and taco shells are loaded with sodium and devoid of nutrients. After you figure out your base, choose a protein. Beans and chicken are the best choices, according to the registered dietician, but she recommends halving the portion as to not get too much protein. As for rice? As long as you aren’t keto, go for it. “[Brown rice] has less sodium than white rice,” notes Beckerman. The best Chipotle order, according to a registered dietician. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAZGWNZ5G2A] Last, top off your meal with lots of vegetables to make it both more nutrient dense and filling. Oh, and as for the battle between salsa versus guac? Beckerman says guacamole is a better choice since the healthy fats aid
OK, TMI: Can you get…stretched out from butt play?
April 16, 2019 at 10:31AM by CWC Anal sex and butt play are like pineapple skin care: If you’re not trying it for yourself, there’s a good chance you’re at least curious about it. And considering butt play can lead to A-plus orgasms no matter your anatomy (shout-out, prostate and A-spot), the interest makes total sense. Butt still (had to), because sex-ed left so many of us confused by every innocuous topic under the sun, whether you’re already an Anal Pro™ or you’re someone who can see yourself testing those back-door waters in the future, you might wonder whether butt play can stretch you out or even cause permanent damage. Good news first: “The short is answer is no. In safe anal play, there should be no long-lasting effects,” says Alicia Sinclair, certified sex educator and CEO of b-Vibe, an anal play product company. But there’s a longer answer, too, and it requires a quick anatomy lesson: The rectum is the last part of your large intestine, which leads to the anus, says Evan Goldstein MD, CEO and founder of Bespoke Surgical, a sexual-wellness company specializing anal-related health. “There are actually three sets of muscles that comprise the anal sphincter, which is the last part of your anus.” Two of these muscles are voluntarily controlled (relaxed and contracted), while the third operates involuntarily. For pleasurable and “successful” anal, all three of these need to be relaxed. How? Foreplay. Just as you can overstretch your hamstring in yoga, you can overstretch
Your uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere isn’t exactly a good thing, according to sleep doctors
April 16, 2019 at 09:56AM by CWC In the world of adulting, having the ability to PTFO whenever, wherever is the ultimate humble brag. (Personally, I’d give a kidney to be able to nap on command.) But the sleep doctors have spoken, and they’ve declared that those with the superhuman ability to fall asleep under any circumstance aren’t necessarily at an advantage. In fact, it might be a sign of sleep deprivation. In a hallmark study debunking 10 of the most commonly held sleep myths, researchers at NYU Langone Health found that people who possess the “ability” to fall asleep anywhere aren’t getting enough of it to begin with, reports CNN. “Falling asleep instantly, anywhere and anytime, is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep and you’re falling into ‘micro sleeps’ or mini-sleep episodes,” says Rebecca Robbins, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone. “It means your body is so exhausted that whenever it has a moment, it’s going to start to repay its sleep debt.” “Falling asleep instantly, anywhere and anytime, is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep.” From the moment you blink open your eyes, your brain begins to produce the sleep chemical adenosine. Spending time in bed diminishes levels of the yawn-inducing chemical. Unless—of course—you skimp on your prescribed amount of sleep. Then, your levels rise and rise until you’ve created a sleep load. The problem is, it’s not always easy to know if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation. Like stress,
These foundations are so nice to skin, you might as well call them skin care
April 16, 2019 at 09:23AM by CWC Foundation used to have a pretty bad rap. Sure, it can conceal blemishes and even your skin tone, but it can also clog your pores, big time. But over the years, formulas have become more skin friendly and arguably less likely to cake up on your face and cause acne. Recently though, brands have taken things one step further with formulas that aren’t just “not bad” for your skin—they’re actually good for it. “Skin-care foundation” products have become increasingly common on beauty shelves, combining the coverage abilities of foundation with the skin-enhancing ones you’d expect from your usual serums and moisturizers. They’re packed with antioxidants (like vitamin C) and hydrating ingredients (like hyaluronic acid) to add a little extra somethin-somethin to your usual routine. “If you can only do one step, it’s better than just putting on foundation,” says Virginia-based dermatologist Lily Talakoub MD, noting that they’re great for people who want to save time in their routine or are looking to get slightly more bang for their buck out of a single product. “These hybrids usually have antioxidants, some of them have vitamin C, some of them have peptides, and a lot of them have sunscreens.” However, it’s worth keeping in mind these products shouldn’t necessarily replace your skin-care regimen (especially SPF!), but rather be put on top of it for a little extra boost. Here, we rounded up some of our favorite skin-care and foundation hybrids, which will make your skin
If your posture’s the pits, you’d better stretch that fascia
April 16, 2019 at 07:50AM by CWC Most of the time, I pretty much ignore my armpits. They only really get a second thought when I need to shave ’em, wash ’em, or apply a few swipes of aluminum-free deodorant. Apparently I’ve been neglecting an important body part for far too long. Just ask physical therapist and yoga teacher Lara Heimann, who tells me that so much of the shoulder tension sparked by desk-slouching can be remedied by elongating the muscles beneath your armpits. Stretching the armpits out on a yoga block targets the fascia, an interwoven system of connective tissues found throughout the body. Heimann says the complex network acts as the body’s no holds barred diary entry. It’s believed to store pent up emotions, memories, and (you guessed it) a whole lot of tension. Sliding onto a block to release the congested energy from that area helps the entire rotator cuff—and thus your entire body—function seamlessly. “When we think about anatomy, we sometimes think very one-dimensionally, as if our body’s like a piece of paper,” says Heimann. In reality the collection of muscles attaching the pectoral rib cage region to the scapula wraps 360 degrees around your bod like an ultra-supportive sports bra. “There’s a set of muscles that travel from one side of the ribs to the other in that pectoral-rib cage region, which is the armpit area,” she says. Rounding the shoulders forward as we stare into our many screens causes the muscles to shorten up