May 21, 2019 at 12:30PM by CWC It’s now legitimately hot outside and the sun is shining. This means that two things are a must: wearing extra sunscreen to protect skin, and drinking alcohol al fresco (in moderation, of course). But then I heard murmurs that the two have a combative relationship, and a light bulb went on in my head. Can drinking alcohol affect your sun sensitivity? When I checked out the scenario with dermatologists, they weren’t necessarily able to call out a definitive link, but there does seem to be a correlation between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of sun damage. “There is a slight association between some alcohol—primarily white wine—and the likelihood of developing skin cancer,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology. That said, she notes that she hasn’t seen a study that proves that alcohol makes you sun sensitive or increases your chances of getting a sunburn, though others have echoed that consumption of alcohol does correlate with an increased risk of skin cancer. While it’s very important to understand that correlation does not imply causality, I have noticed that I return to my home a bit pinker on the days spent in the sun, cocktail in hand. But… what’s behind that? Science is still working that out in many ways. “The full reason is not quite yet known, but some hypotheses exist,” she says on the connection between alcohol and sun sensitivity. “One is that the metabolism of alcohol may
Month: May 2019
The outfits 14 stylish people choose for a pick-me-up on a no good, very bad day
May 21, 2019 at 12:27PM by CWC “Never underestimate the power of a good outfit on a bad day.” It’s one of those maxims that end up on inspirational Pinterest pages and coffee mugs, despite hazy origins, because it’s just so true for so many people. Sometimes, you are what you wear, and that can be especially useful when you’re not feeling like yourself. I asked 13 stylish folks about the good looks they rock in the hopes of generating good vibes, and here’s what they had to say. Photo: Keri Goff “When it comes to my anxiety, fashion and function collide. I fortify myself in layers—in this photo there are four, not to mention the double option of a dad hat and a beanie. A flight, a road trip, a date, a day when I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up or when I’ll be home: If I’m unsure about the situation, I dress for every situation. If I’m unsure about the temperature, I dress for every temperature. And sure, all those anticipatory concerns are largely unfounded, but strangers often tell me they dig the jacket, and I dig the comfort of wearing everything underneath it. On those worry-filled days, I definitely appreciate the peace of mind… and a little validation, too.” —Ben Kassoy, author, Editor-in-chief of DoSomething.org “I love to wear this dress as much as I can to auditions, especially those I’m feeling a bit ‘meh’ or nervous about. It gives off a fun and friendly
The Anxiety–Gut Health Connection You Need To Know About
May 21, 2019 at 11:50AM All hail the power of gut health. Continue Reading… Author Ray Bass | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
10,000 steps is over. *This* metric is way more important
May 21, 2019 at 11:45AM by CWC Before I found out that 10,000 steps a day is total scam, I would do just about anything to meet the quota. (Speed walking in circles! Spending an extra five minutes on the treadmill! Running in place!) Now that the advice has been struck from the (un)official wellness rulebook, I’ve been scouting for the next big thing to gamify my workout. According to one trainer, VO2 max is the new metric to turn to for measuring your fitness goals. “VO2 Max is the person’s maximal oxygen uptake that is utilized generally during intense activities,” says Brandon Hirose, a master trainer at Crunch Gym in New York City. It’s the maximum amount of oxygen you have access to during intense forms of exercise, and it can help illustrate a person’s overall, physical potential. “It can indicate a person’s essential aerobic capacity, or the maximal working heart rate of that individual.” In short, the University of Georgia’s exercise physiology department names this metric “the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.” Enough said. Many wearables will automatically log your VO2 max after a few workouts. If you want to go old school and calculate it yourself though, you’ll need to do a little bit of math. How to find your VO2 max Calculate your heart rate max (the number of beats per minute during an intense workout) by using the equation: HRmax = 205.8 – (0.685 x age) When you’re completely relaxed (i.e., not
New research suggests CBD could help people recovering from opioid addiction
May 21, 2019 at 10:09AM by CWC Between 1999 and 2017, the opioid crisis claimed 400,000 Americans lives. Finding appropriate methods to treat people with addiction has presented a challenge for health care practitioners since the first wave of opioid overdoses struck in the ’90s. Recently, a small study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that the the use of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive element of the cannabis plant, may ease cravings and anxiety for those on the road to recovery from opiate addiction. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai treated 42 men and women recovering from opioid addictions with either 400 milligrams or 800 milligrams of CBD and a placebo, reports Newsweek. As part of the study, participants viewed photos of drugs, drug use, and packages that appeared to contain heroin as well as calmer images of landscapes. The subjects’ emotional response was recorded in three different situations: when they took the CBD capsules right before viewing the images, 24 hours later, and a week later. By recording vital signs, reported anxiety levels, and participant cravings, the study leaders determined that those on the CBD regimen experienced fewer cravings and less anxiety related to drug use as compared to the placebo group—not just after 24 hours, but a full seven days later. It’s also important to note that women—among whom addiction is growing at an alarming rate—responded with double the amount of cravings and anxiety triggered by the pictures than men. According to
It’s really easy to overwork the core, which is just as dicey as doing zero ab work
May 21, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC I try to work my abs in every single workout that I do, whether it’s a run, a HIIT class, or yoga. It always just feels like the cherry on top of my workout, since I can easily do a five-minute core workout to round out whatever else my sweat sesh might bring. Working on your core is a fundamental part of fitness, since a strong core can help with your posture and movement in general. But, according to fitness trainer Erica Ziel—a bonafide abs expert—you can actually overdo the ab work. Say what? “The reality is while you are crunching your way to strong abs, you can actually be overworking your core and causing back pain and poor posture,” she tells me, reiterating the importance of having a strong core, since it’s the “main support for your spine, organs, pelvic floor, and entire body.” That said, particular bodily dilemmas can stem from an overworked core, which is pretty much due to not varying the types of abs work that you’re doing. “If you’ve ever experienced back pain, knee pain, or peed your pants a little when you sneeze or jump rope, a weak deep core could be the culprit,” she says. “Many times the stories I see that deal with aches, pains, and imbalances involve people suffering from overdoing crunch-style abdominal exercises. They’ve been taught that crunches are the only way to strengthen your core.” The problem with overdoing just plain crunches
It’s really easy to overwork the core, which is just as dicey as doing zero ab work
May 21, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC I try to work my abs in every single workout that I do, whether it’s a run, a HIIT class, or yoga. It always just feels like the cherry on top of my workout, since I can easily do a five-minute core workout to round out whatever else my sweat sesh might bring. Working on your core is a fundamental part of fitness, since a strong core can help with your posture and movement in general. But, according to fitness trainer Erica Ziel—a bonafide abs expert—you can actually overdo the ab work. Say what? “The reality is while you are crunching your way to strong abs, you can actually be overworking your core and causing back pain and poor posture,” she tells me, reiterating the importance of having a strong core, since it’s the “main support for your spine, organs, pelvic floor, and entire body.” That said, particular bodily dilemmas can stem from an overworked core, which is pretty much due to not varying the types of abs work that you’re doing. “If you’ve ever experienced back pain, knee pain, or peed your pants a little when you sneeze or jump rope, a weak deep core could be the culprit,” she says. “Many times the stories I see that deal with aches, pains, and imbalances involve people suffering from overdoing crunch-style abdominal exercises. They’ve been taught that crunches are the only way to strengthen your core.” The problem with overdoing just plain crunches
There’s even more evidence that anxiety and gut health are related
May 21, 2019 at 09:06AM by CWC More evidence supporting the mind-gut connection comes in the form a new study published in the journal General Psychiatry. Researchers studied a total of 3,334 scientific articles of 21 different experiments on a total of 1,503 people and found that regulating one’s gut health could be an effective part of anxiety management. “Overall, 11 studies showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, which indicated 52 percent of the 21 studies were effective, and there were five studies that used probiotic supplements as interventions and six used non-probiotic interventions,” the study authors write. Probiotics can help, but so can eating a diet rich in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, and tempeh. While the authors say that more research needs to be done—anxiety and its causes are complicated—this meta-analysis provides more evidence that there is a relationship between mental health and gastrointestinal health. It’s still unclear why the relationship exists, but a previous mouse study in 2017 showed there may be a link between gastrointestinal microbes and gene regulators in the brain. The researchers found that bacteria in the gut influences the amygdala (the brain’s center for emotional processing) and the prefrontal cortex (which, in part, regulates the consolidation and extinction of social fear). Not only does this reinforce the mind-gut connection, but it shows that the part of the mind the gut affects is in part our emotional center. It’s important to note that diet is not the only
There’s even more evidence that anxiety and gut health are related
May 21, 2019 at 09:06AM by CWC More evidence supporting the mind-gut connection comes in the form a new study published in the journal General Psychiatry. Researchers studied a total of 3,334 scientific articles of 21 different experiments on a total of 1,503 people and found that regulating one’s gut health could be an effective part of anxiety management. “Overall, 11 studies showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, which indicated 52 percent of the 21 studies were effective, and there were five studies that used probiotic supplements as interventions and six used non-probiotic interventions,” the study authors write. Probiotics can help, but so can eating a diet rich in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, and tempeh. While the authors say that more research needs to be done—anxiety and its causes are complicated—this meta-analysis provides more evidence that there is a relationship between mental health and gastrointestinal health. It’s still unclear why the relationship exists, but a previous mouse study in 2017 showed there may be a link between gastrointestinal microbes and gene regulators in the brain. The researchers found that bacteria in the gut influences the amygdala (the brain’s center for emotional processing) and the prefrontal cortex (which, in part, regulates the consolidation and extinction of social fear). Not only does this reinforce the mind-gut connection, but it shows that the part of the mind the gut affects is in part our emotional center. It’s important to note that diet is not the only
Sephora doesn’t go 30 seconds without selling this brand—and nothing is over $15
May 21, 2019 at 08:53AM by CWC The U.K. has given us a lot of things worth loving: the national treasure that is James Corden, The Spice Girls‘ entire musical catalogue, and shirtless photos of David Beckham, to name a few of my personal favorites. But they have truly outdone themselves this time around when they blessed us with The Inkey List, a London-based skin-care line that hit the shelves of Sephora last month. I could write an entire thesis about how great this brand is, but I’ll stick to a few key points so you can get the gist. First of all, every product is under $15. In fact, most of them retailing in the $7 to $10 range means you can put together an entire routine for less than 60 bucks, AKA less than the cost of two fancy fitness classes. And second of all, the products are good (like, really good). Each product is centered on a single ingredient—vitamin C, retinol, and glycolic acid, to name a few fan favorites—and the boxes offer up simplified, straightforward explainers on what each and every one of them does. Squalene, for example, is a “natural skin oil that helps to hydrate and protect skin,” while lactic acid is a “natural AHA derived from milk and fruit sugars. It acts as an exfoliant, which helps loosen and remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.” Whether you’re a walking ingredient thesaurus or just getting started in your personal skin-care journey, pretty