May 01, 2019 at 01:05PM by CWC Crunches and sit ups are the Dax Sheppard and Zach Braff of core exercises. Sure, sure, they’re both superstars, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference between which one was in Scrubs and which one just so happened to be the Armchair Expert. And the same kinda goes for the blockbuster abs-quaking exercises: I know which is which, but not so much the difference between what crunches and sit ups target, anyways. The terms tend to be used interchangeably when most people talk about “ab exercises.” But actually, they’re two totally different things, which, I’m going to admit, is pretty confusing. “From the starting position, these exercises look very similar,” says Tone House Head Coach Joe Rodonis. “The main difference is the range of motion between the two. The crunch is more of an isolated movement on the core; only requiring you to raise your head and shoulder blades off the ground. While the sit up requires more range of motion and activates other stabilizing muscles. With a sit up, you activate your hip flexors, for example, and will raise your torso off the ground.” Both moves work your core, but in different ways—crunches are made up of smaller movements to hit more targeted muscles, while sit ups require a full up-and-down range of motion. Here, Rodonis breaks things down even further to explain when to do which move. Crunches Don’t let the itty-bitty movements that crunches require fool you—these things mean business.
Day: May 1, 2019
This Form Of Dementia Looks Like Alzheimer’s But Isn’t — Here’s What That Means
May 01, 2019 at 12:29PM What this means for clinical trials and treatment. Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The trick to making perfectly crispy tofu starts in the freezer
May 01, 2019 at 11:43AM by CWC I like my tofu extra crispy. Unfortunately getting it to that point often means keeping a watchful eye on a frying pan. (Nobody likes burnt tofu.) But the trick to perfectly crispy tofu is as simple as popping it in the freezer first. When tofu freezes, the water within it expands, creating pockets of air. As you cook it and the water evaporates, these air bubbles give tofu a chewier, meatier texture while enabling it to soak up flavor from a marinade or sauce. Follow these easy instructions for the best way to ensure crispy tofu every time you cook it (with five delicious recipes you’ll want to use again and again) because nothing hits the spot more than tofu at its crispiest. How to freeze tofu Drain your extra-firm tofu and remove it from the packaging. Pat it dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Cut the tofu into cubes or slices—whatever size you need for your meal. Then, place the pieces in a container and store them in the freezer. You can also put the entire block in the freezer as-is, but it takes longer to cook. For best results, leave your tofu in the freezer for 12 to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, you’ll still get decent results with 3 to 6 hours. How to cook with frozen tofu Bring a pot of water to a boil and submerge the frozen tofu. Bring it back to a
Hit the reset button with our 30-day mental wellness challenge
May 01, 2019 at 11:13AM by CWC Show me a person who’s never felt stressed or down in the dumps. No really, I’d like to meet that glittery rainbow unicorn. And so would the Well+Good reader, 95 percent of whom reported being stressed in a 2018 survey. It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which means that it’s the perfect time to re-prioritize our mental well-being. That’s why we created a 30-day Mental Wellness Challenge: a month’s worth of daily tasks designed to help you prioritize your mental wellness needs. “The data shows that small changes build up. When we notice ourselves making changes to feel better, we start to feel better,” says Natalie Dattilo, Ph.D., director of psychology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and a member of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Datillo regularly uses the pneumonic “ESCAPE” to discuss mental wellness with her clients. The acronym stands for Exercise (an instant mood booster and stress reducer), Sleep (which helps your brain function at its best), Connect and Appreciate (because social connections and gratitude can foster better mental health), Pleasure (an important component of overall happiness), and Exhale (a powerful way to calm anxieties and reduce stress). These six strategies, she says, are the most science-backed ways to manage stress and emotions to promote better mental well-being. Each tip in the month-long challenge (which we’ll be sharing on Instagram, too) is designed to help you to re-define self care, manage daily stressors, start a conversation around mental health, or
Chest Pains After Eating? New Study Says Taking This May Help
May 01, 2019 at 11:02AM Say goodbye to that post-meal chest pain. Continue Reading… Author Ray Bass | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Your A to Z guide to the most potent skin-care antioxidants around
May 01, 2019 at 10:43AM by CWC Antioxidants are the hardest-working skin-care ingredients in the game. Not only do they scavenge free radicals, the number one skin-aging culprits, to promote a brighter, more even complexion, they’re also the superstars at nixing fine lines and keeping skin looking fresh. “Antioxidants are often considered the fountain of youth by skin-care professionals and experts,” says Victoria Lewis, medical esthetician at Tribeca MedSpa. “They protect, prevent, and limit free radical damage, and some assist with hydration and inflammation. Not only will your skin be better looking, but it will also be healthier in general.” Dermatologists sing antioxidants’ praises, too, saying that they’re a must for every single person’s skin-care regimen. “In my opinion, an antioxidant serum is a must for your skin-care routine,” says Lian Mack, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. “Antioxidants protect the skin by reducing and counteracting free radical production.” These free radicals, as a refresher, can assault your skin, damaging healthy skin cells and creating oxidative stress. “Antioxidants protect your skin from this and help reduce pigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles,” explains Dr. Mack. “In my opinion, an antioxidant serum is a must for your skin-care routine.” —Dr. Lian Mack There are so many different sources you can choose from for your beauty cabinet, though. To help everyone sort them out, I asked the skin pros which were the strongest of the bunch. Something I realized, though? It’s tough to pit antioxidants against each other. “There aren’t head-to-head studies that compare one antioxidant to
The healthy “fat salad” a functional medicine doctor loves to eat for lunch
May 01, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC I have a really important question that needs answering: What did salads look like before the avocado craze? I imagine sad iceberg lettuce paired with sadder croutons, and topped with the kind of dressing that just kind of pools at the bottom of the to-go container. (Moment of silence.) Luckily, we’re living in the era of greenery 2.0, when salads are just as fancy as any other dish. Case in point: the edible art of this salad with avocado created by functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD. “I’ve learned how to make amazingly delicious meals really simply,” said Dr. Hyman at April’s Well+Good’s TALKS in New York City. His choice lunch is “fat salads,” a bed of greens piled with ingredients that contain omega-3s and other healthy fats. After piling a plate high with spinach, kale, or another leafy green, he adds avocado (duh), a sprinkling of nuts, a can of wild salmon, olives, and a drizzle of olive oil. When in doubt, just add “a lot of good fats and protein,” says Dr. Hyman. If you’re a vegetarian, you could nix the salmon in favor of nature’s multivitamin (eggs!) for a boost of protein. Or, if you follow an entirely plant-based diet, you could roast a can of chickpeas and sprinkle them over your midday meal like legume croutons. It’s totally up to you. No matter the melange of ingredients, take solace in the fact that the fats on the end of
The best lighting option for dreamy sleep will only set you back $10
May 01, 2019 at 07:12AM by CWC As someone who lives with a profound fear of the dark, I’ve learned a thing or two over the years about how light affects my sleep. For instance, the black light that made my high-school era neon velvet posters glow isn’t optimum for bedtime. And like any chronic appsturbator knows, the blue light of your phone is all but guaranteed to keep you up. Ultimately, it’s a dark-horse contender that shines brightest for not disrupting your snooze game: scarlet bulbs. Even better, you can nab a red night light for only $10. And research backs me up here. One 2013 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience tested the effects of different light wavelengths. Exposure to white and blue light increased depressive-like symptoms (in hamsters, not humans it should be noted—but keep an open mind here). But the hamsters exposed to red light? They were far better off, putting forth the idea that if you need to get a night light, the safest bet is to see red. If you need to get a night light, the safest bet is to see red. Another study, published in 2017 from the University of Haifa, investigated how different lights eff up our sleep schedule. The blue screen light, on average, shaved off 16 minutes of sleep time and slowed down the production of that sweet, sweet, melatonin. Red light, by contrast, which produces a very similar level of melatonin as total darkness does, was shown to
How the keyhole became the swimsuit’s most functional feature
May 01, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Swimming laps in the wrong type of bathing suit is the swimwear equivalent of playing with fire. Sure, bikinis look great in Instagram pictures, but the minute you attempt to wear one while performing the butterfly, you run the risk of flashing your top half, bottom half, or in the case of my eighth grade pool party, both at the same time. One pieces are problematic in an entirely different way, because they fill up with water and slow down your strokes. And don’t even get me started on tankinis, which deserve their own place in the 10th circle of hell. So what’s a burgeoning Katie Ledecky to do? Invest in a keyhole swimsuit, which I hereby declare to be the holy grail of all the fashions that are actually meant for swimming. You know the ones I’m talking about—those ultra-chic, yet functional, one pieces that have a circular-shaped cutout right below the boobs. We love ’em because aside from giving the girls a little bit of understated airtime, the artfully placed hole allows for water to move in and out of the suit so it won’t get stuck and make you feel like a waterlogged—albeit well dressed—pufferfish. “We’ve used a keyhole construction on the front of our Peak Suit as a way to allow water to easily flow out below the bustline, says Shannon Savage, co-founder of Left on Friday. The brand also offers a suit with a keyhole in the back, which helps
Are you there, God? It’s me, a grown-ass woman trying to learn to love her period
May 01, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC I got my first period at the underripe age of 10. I looked down into my sparkly, frog-print underwear from Limited Too one night, and there she was. I immediately started sobbing. By that point, I had already spent hours of my life poring over Judy Blume’s The Care and Keeping of You in anticipation of this exact moment, but even so, when push came to flow, I was confused, horrified, and embarrassed. Holy hell, was I embarrassed. Even though I was the only girl I knew who had been wearing deodorant and a training bra for two-plus years, I still figured I was years (light-years, even!) away from having to deal with cramps and mood swings and panty liners. After all, the average age for getting a first period is 12-and-a-half…guess I was advanced. Ugh. Aside from my mom, I didn’t tell a soul. I didn’t want to divert my friends’ attention from blissfully decorating their Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers and learning the since-forgotten art of cursive. I didn’t want anyone to know my mom had to teach me how to use tampons during spring break so I could take my cool new tankini for a spin in the water without the scene looking like an outtake from Jaws. I wanted total anonymity because I felt like a freak. For years. Even when the rest of my friends eventually got their periods, I never got totally comfortable with the notion of my