June 26, 2019 at 08:30AM by CWC I never, ever thought that jumping jacks—of all the fitness moves that exist—would be the hardest thing I’d ever do in a workout. Usually, they’re the innocent cardio burst you turn to mid-sweat sesh, or the thing you do as an active recovery… but this morning, I did a form of jumping jacks that fired up my body from head to toe and left me barely able to walk afterwards. Let me explain: I woke up early this AM to workout with celebrity trainer Don-A-Matrix, AKA the guy you’ve definitely seen on Keeping Up with the Kardashians making Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe sweat. I thought I knew what I was in for… but things quickly got revved up and my body somehow made it through a scorcher of a 45-minute workout. The said jumping jacks were not your everyday, hands clap over head, feet jump outwards kinda move. These suckers involved a resistance band with handles. You step your feet onto the band itself in the center on the floor, and take the handles with your hands. Then you jump into “jack,” by pushing your hands upwards and your legs outwards. It’s no joke. ad_intervals[‘403556_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403556_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Photo: Matt Watson/Moorehart Photography “Jumping jacks are a great way to activate several muscle groups when working out, and they’re perfect to use for warm-ups or in any sort of high-intensity workout,” says Don, who’s also trained professional athletes and
Month: June 2019
Everything to know about ubes, the purple yam making your favorite desserts brighter (and healthier)
June 26, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC What’s purple, sweet, and brightening up healthy food offerings on trendy menus and Instagrams? No, not purple ketchup (RIP), it’s the humble ube. The ube (pronounced ooh-bae) is a purple yam and a close relative of the sweet potato. It’s long been a staple of Filipino cooking as a dessert ingredient, and is related to (but not the same as) the Japanese sweet potato popular in Okinawa. Now the yam is gaining widespread love in the US, appearing in the form of ice cream, lattes, and dreamy-looking desserts. Trader Joe’s is even selling its own ube ice cream, so you know this is a big deal. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @chillhouse on Jun 18, 2019 at 10:00am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js View this post on Instagram Finally got my hands on the new Ube Ice Cream and it is sooo good!🍠 Everyone has been hyping this up the past few weeks..it’s a popular ice cream flavor in the Philippines. A lot of people have had trouble explaining what this tastes like but I think it tastes exactly like an Italian dessert called tortoni (which my grandma always makes around the holidays…look it up!). What do you all think about this new ice cream flavor? A post shared by Trader Joe’s Kitchen 👩🏼🍳 (@traderjoeskitchen) on Jun 24, 2019 at 3:57pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js View this post on Instagram Hand me those ube bars, please. 💜⠀⠀ …
The next solar eclipse is just before July 4—here’s what that means for your holiday plans
June 26, 2019 at 07:32AM by CWC The closest I’ve ever come to a total solar eclipse was…actually pretty close. On an August afternoon in 2017, I risked the quality of my vision by honoring my daily trip to the ice-cream truck, because, well, we all have priorities, and one of mine was to snag my cone of goodness. While the next total solar eclipse likely won’t hamper your summer-treats prerogative since it’s only going to be viewable from the South Pacific Ocean, Chile, and Argentina, since it falls on July 2, its astrological implications very well may play into your celebratory plans for the Fourth of July long weekend. The good news here is that the effect should mostly be for the better. The main thing to keep in mind for the July 2 event is that it’s not an ideal time for a high-stakes presentation or any big-deal meeting. “The solar eclipse is not necessarily a day for shining,” astrologer Emma Toynbee tells me. “If you have a big public appearance planned, then tone down your expectations and the day will go just fine.” ad_intervals[‘403650_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403650_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Niravta Mathur, co-founder of astrology site and app Cosmic Insights, adds that as a rule of thumb, eclipses are generally not an ideal time to start anything big or new, so it may be wise to hold off on asking for a big promotion or expressing a total eclipse of the
9 hip-strengthening exercises that make moving through life *way* easier
June 26, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC Have you ever wondered why some people can squat lower, jump higher, or simply bend more easily than you? Well, my friends, there’s a pretty good chance that’s because their hips are strong AF. And by strong, I don’t just mean muscular and toned, but rather stretched to improve flexibility and mobility. In other words: goals. If you’d like to hop on the healthy hip train, get pumped because I chatted with a handful of the industry’s top trainers for the low-down on all the best exercises to strengthen what Y7 instructor Joanna Cohen calls “the body’s biggest joint space.” To be one of those how-is-that-possible people, keep on scrolling for the moves to memorize right now. Lateral lunge with kettlebell reach If you’re looking to strengthen your hips, you have to work to stabilize them as well, says Alexis Dreiss, a NASM-certified personal trainer and head coach at Tone House in New York City. Her favorite way to do this is by combining lunges with kettlebell reaches. To perform this exercise, she says to step out into a right lateral lunge with a kettlebell in your left hand for balance. “Step out with your right foot, keeping your hips squared off,” Dreiss instructs. “When you land, make sure your knee is tracking over your second toe and that your sitz bones are pointing diagonally towards the ground.” ad_intervals[‘393270_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘393270_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); As you
Being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community is so much more than wearing rainbows in June
June 26, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Hold onto your hats, I’m coming in hot with a public service announcement: My queerness doesn’t take a snooze July through May. Despite what Pride marketing might have you believe, I’m queer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year; queer folks exist (and thrive! and are worth celebrating!) 12 months a year. To that point, being an ally is *not* strolling through Ikea with a rainbow tote (*eye roll*), noshing on rainbow Doritos, and goggling at the rainbow-clad mannequins as you window-shop. Rather, allyship is a verb, a process, continuous action. It’s lifelong work. “An ally is someone who is not from that group who does work for and supports that group. You’re doing the work to educate yourself, be involved in projects by and for, do things for, show-up for that group, and fight for their rights” says bicon (that is, bisexual icon), Gaby Dunn, co-host of the Just Between Us. “It’s using your privilege to show up for folks who have less privilege.” ad_intervals[‘399704_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399704_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); To that point, consider the below is your Ultimate Ally™ starter sheet for thoughtful, intentional support of the LGBTQ+ community all year long. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these 6 tips for allies are a good point A. Follow queer people on social media Simply put: “Exposure matters,” says LGBTQ+ expert and mental-health professional Kryss Shane, MS. I
How to fluently speak the words of affirmation love language—even if you’re usually tongue-tied
June 26, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC It’s often said that actions speak louder than words, but for people whose love language is words of affirmation, it’s actually words themselves that speak volumes. Never heard of love languages? Introduced by Gary Chapman’s best-selling 2015 book, love languages are ways of communicating based on methods to speak and understand love. There are five different types: quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, physical touch, and the aforementioned words of affirmation. (Which is apparently the most common, according to Chapman.) Knowing your partner’s love language is important because it clues you in as to the best way to show them how much you care. You may think your partner wants to feel showered with thoughtful presents (receiving gifts) when really they would so much more appreciate you cleaning the kitchen for them (acts of service). “People whose love language is words of affirmation like their partner to use words to express their love,” says sex and relationship expert Jessica O’Reilly, PhD. But if you don’t consider yourself good with words, being in a relationship with someone whose love language is words of affirmation seem challenging. But Dr. O’Reilly says it’s really not. Here, she shares her tips on how to fluently speak this love language. Keep reading for her tips. ad_intervals[‘403532_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403532_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Scroll down for expert advice on how to speak the words of affirmation love language. How to do it
What Makes Wine Healthy + Exactly Where To Buy Better Options
June 26, 2019 at 04:36AM Conventional bottles can contain up to 60 added chemicals! Continue Reading… Author Liz Moody | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The 5-minute Ayurvedic shower ritual to do for better ZZZs
June 26, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I’m willing to try pretty much anything to get some quality sleep (well, just short of plugging up my boyfriend’s snoring nostrils with some corks). I’ve ingested CBD oil to hit the hay harder, stuck a rose quartz underneath my pillow, and invested in black-out curtains, all in the name of slumber. And I’m willing to try more, because beauty sleep is really, really important to me. So when I heard that Abhyanga can influence your restful night in a positive way—along with beautifying your skin—my skin-care obsessed (and moisturized!!) ears perked up. Abhyanga is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that involves body oil and self massage. I had always imagined that it was a very extra ritual done in spas, but Shel Pink, beauty guru and founder of SpaRitual, says that’s not the case—you can DIY the whole thing in your own shower… and it’ll help you sleep better. “Abhyanga is a traditional massage technique from the Ayurvedic tradition that’s performed by either a trained massage therapist or you can do this massage daily as a self-massage,” Pink tells me. “This massage technique is excellent for overall health and wellbeing, helps to reduce anxiety and calm the nerves, improves and deepens sleep, helps increase circulation, improves mental alertness, nourishes the skin and tissues, and allows toxins to be released from the body. A healthy oil used in the massage lubricates the joints, tones skin, and makes it really soft and nourished.” Sounds like a
The 9 best parenting classes in Los Angeles (because they don’t teach this stuff in school)
June 26, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC You learned all about geometry, chemistry, classic literature and the like in school—but absolutely nothing about creating and caring for a new human, an objectively important matter. And while you’d love to rely on pros who have already graduated from the subject parenting for intel, your own parents (who did an MVP-worthy job of raising you) live far away from your current home in Southern California. Where, then, do you turn to for help navigating the tricky, high-stakes transition? Cut to you, googling “parenting classes near me Los Angeles.” Luckily, assistance abounds throughout the City of Angels. From birth to breastfeeding and sleep-training to and beyond, LA is replete with educational opportunities for inexperienced or simply overwhelmed parents. Offerings are diverse, too: Some lean woo-woo while others are more grounded in technicalities, meaning you can mix and match to meet your individual needs and desires. ad_intervals[‘403248_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403248_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Still, becoming a parent in Los Angeles can feel as though you’ve inadvertently entered into a race of “Who did it best?” So, here are nine of the top parenting centers in town to give yourself an edge while also finding a like-minded community of peers who will tell you, “It’s good enough,” when you need to hear it most. Consider your search for “Parenting classes near me Los Angeles” solved with 9 great offerings below. 1. Loom At this brick-and-mortar brainchild of doula-to-the-stars Erica
Water-Resistant Natural Or Non-Toxic Makeup That Won’t Clog Your Pores (Yes, Really!)
June 26, 2019 at 02:04AM Yes, they’re out there. Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC