Month: May 2019

May 02, 2019 at 10:48AM by CWC It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski loves a good avocado. And who can blame him? They’re delicious, versatile, and packed with healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants. But the reality TV star is admittedly a bit tired of the “Mr. Avocado” reputation that made him famous. Fans of the show will recall that he taught contestant Tom Jackson how to make margaritas and guacamole in the very first episode of Queer Eye. Screenshots from the episode of the star talking about avocados launched a thousand memes (and an unfortunate reputation that Porowski doesn’t know how to cook). But Porowoski claims that the edits on the show treated him unfairly. “I did a four-course freaking Mexican tasting!” he said at a recent event with supplement brand OLLY Nutrition. He says he taught Jackson how to make salsa, charred corn, and other foods, but the only thing that was kept in the episode was the guacamole demo. And the rest was history. Of course, given that Porowski’s pro-avocado rep has helped to propel his stardom (including brand partnerships, a cookbook deal and a new restaurant), I’m not that sorry for him. Especially since he finally seems to be leaning into the whole avocado thing. Case in point: He shared with us his own avocado toast recipe which, I have to admit, is much better than what I’ve been making at home. It’s vegetarian, high in protein, and is relatively easy to throw

Read More

May 02, 2019 at 09:01AM by CWC Today in who thought this was a good idea: My colleague and I decided to see if we could make brunch at work using just the microwave. By now, I would consider the two of us mavericks in the investigative food space. We’ve discovered the avocado shape that gives you the best bang for your buck and Nancy Drew’d our way to understanding why mouthfeel is so important. And today, we learned how to cook eggs in the microwave (with only one minor eggsplosion!). For those of you out there thinking But why?! I have a question for you: Why not? Say you want to add a sunny-side egg to your salad at work, whip up a protein-packed brekky from the comfort of your hotel room, or just to be able to say, “Oh, these eggs? I microwaved them.” Casual. Plus, learning how to cook eggs in the microwave is the difference between having a meal on the table in 10 minutes and 40 seconds. Using Chowhound’s guide to nuking eggs, we made our way to the kitchen with a newly-purchased dozen. Then, we pulled out plates and caused a veritable traffic jam in the kitchen as we tried to both fry and poach eggs in the microwave. Twelve eggs later, we’d gone on a true adventure. My coworker had a little yolk caught in his beard, the kitchen looked like a Easter-themed crime scene, and—yeah—we’d both eaten too, too many eggs. Wondering how

Read More

May 02, 2019 at 08:20AM by CWC Even if you’ve never paid much thought to disparities between high fives and low fives, wow, do they exist. Where high fives are highly visible and emblematic of an enthusiastic vibe, low fives convey lower-key, fly-under-the-radar quiet support. And at long last, there’s some real, science-backed evidence to inform which supportive slap reins supreme. A small study recently published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, tested the physiological and psychological effects of high and low fives on athletes, and high fives led to feelings of higher motivation, strength, and levels of cortisol. So for all intents and purposes related to gassing people up at workouts and beyond, Team High Five all the way. But if that’s not your high-five style, not all is lost.  When you go in to offer a well-earned high five, you’re operating as the best version of yourself because a high five is a champion’s gesture. It communicates the ability to acknowledge and visibly cosign someone else’s job well done. It’s as much a reflection of your good judgment and generous support as the receiver’s achievements; high fivers have strong self-esteem. They can do Spiderman push-ups without dying and are ready AF for another day when they shut their eyes and fall asleep effortlessly. So sure, low fivers might not be the most enthusiastic in the world, but they’re not to be discounted. After all, you don’t want every person in your life to be a boundlessly excited boutique fitness

Read More

May 02, 2019 at 08:09AM by CWC You’ve come a long way since your days on the playground. You’ve swapped swinging from the monkey bars for pull-ups, traded P.E. kickball for an adult kickball league, and stopped climbing trees in favor of bouldering. You’re all grown up. But there’s one childhood exercise that’s effective (and fun!) enough to take with you into adulthood: jumping rope. And double-unders are jumping rope, but harder. As the name would suggest, the rope passes under your feet twice in one jump. “From a conditioning standpoint, jumping rope probably ranks higher than running and rowing,” says Maillard Howell, owner of Crossfit Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. “I think it’s probably the most highly underrated conditioning modality.” Hearing a CrossFit coach describe an exercise as “underrated” is enough to convince me to give it a try for myself. According to Howell, there’s a good reason boxing legend Muhammad Ali used a jump rope as part of his training. “It’s good for speed, agility, conditioning, and endurance. It does it all,” says Howell. Unlike other forms of cardio, jumping rope raises your heart rate almost instantly. And because you can use a jump rope almost anywhere, it also makes executing your workout a bit easier from a logistical standpoint. No more ping-ponging between the treadmill and the weight room to combine cardio and strength training. Howell suggests combining double-unders (or attempts) with heavy weight movements. “The combo of lifting and jump rope hits two different training stimuli, making it more

Read More