August 27, 2019 at 12:24AM by CWC Earlier this summer, something strange happened on Twitter: Republican Ted Cruz publicly agreed with a Tweet posted by Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez which read, “Psst! Birth control should be over-the-counter, pass it on.” Unlike so many political dialogues—particularly those which concern the bodies of people with uteruses—this exchange felt uncharacteristically sensible and non-controversial. It also made the goal at its center sound easily achievable: for people to be able to buy oral contraceptives at the drugstore just like they buy aspirin or foot fungus cream. This debate isn’t totally new—advocates have long argued that by taking off the requirement of needing a prescription to get a birth control pill, people would have a much easier time accessing contraception, which would in turn lower the rate of unintended pregnancies. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said as much in a statement in 2014. With this new bipartisan interest, is it finally time for America to join the 100 countries around the world which allow over-the-counter (OTC) access to birth control, especially given that numerous stateside medical organizations—including The American Academy of Family Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Medical Association, and The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, to name a few—have come out in support of the idea? ad_intervals[‘411547_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘411547_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); The answer appears to be yes… with many, many caveats. The health debate over OTC birth control One of
Day: August 26, 2019
Toner isn’t a one-trick pony these days—here’s why it’s worth a second chance
August 27, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Ask any beauty expert to share their thoughts on toner, and you’re pretty much guaranteed two things: 1) they will have a strong opinion about it; 2) those opinions will be vastly different across the board. I have been team “toner is a scam” for the last year, ever since a dermatologist told me that, as long as I was using the right cleanser, there was no need to tone. Her logic made sense: Historically, toners were used to rebalance your skin’s pH after cleanser disrupted it. The science behind it? The pH scale runs from 0 (acidic) to 14 (basic). Soaps of yore were basic and worked by agitating skin’s natural pH, which falls at about 5.5, to get rid of gunk and grime. Then, acid toners came back in to save the day and recalibrate skin. It was kind of like a chemistry equation, TBH. As cleansers became more and more advanced, and less disruptive of the skin’s pH, acid toners sort of lost their job, in a way. So what did they do? Diversified their resumes. Over the past decade or so, the “toner” has come to mean something completely different than what it used to. What was once a singular type of product has now become an entire category that can be used for a whole lot of things besides re-balancing your skin’s pH. ad_intervals[‘415809_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415809_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Similar to
The 9 best YouTube cooking channels to turn healthy eating inspiration into a reality
August 26, 2019 at 09:40PM by CWC Watching other people cook is one of life’s simple pleasures. I tune into the Food Network each and every time I go to the gym, and the “recommended” section of my YouTube account paints a pretty powerful picture of my digital foodie identity. The video-centric social platform is home to 294 million yoga tutorials and an infinite amount of barre content, but IMO—the best YouTube cooking channels provide something special for those of us who just doesn’t feel like reading recipes culled from Pinterest. The content makers on YouTube roll out everything from meal prep hacks and nutritious one-off weeknight meals to product reviews and tips from nutritionists. Well+Good’s very own YouTube series You Versus Food asks dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, to break down 2019’s buzziest ingredients. And Alt-Baking Bootcamp gives your most beloved desserts (like banana bread and birthday cake) a nutritionally strategic makeover. To get started, hit “subscribe” on these channels. ad_intervals[‘418258_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘418258_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); The 9 best YouTube cooking channels for healthy recipes, advice, and more [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEN4FGUIJvY] 1. Alt-Baking Bootcamp: For reimagined desserts that are 100 percent delicious You deserve desserts and our resident eating experts, nay magicians, help you prepare healthier options of all your faves. Just hit play for brownies, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry pie, and lemon bars. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rof-B24i37s] 2.You Versus Food: For all your FAQs on the diet darlings of today Well+Good’s You Versus Food is like
This compression sports bra doubles as a shirt and it’s the only thing I want to work out in
August 26, 2019 at 08:49PM by CWC It feels like I’ve spent the better part of the past decade in a Goldilocks-style search for the perfect sports bra. I’ve tried dozens of them. Some are too flimsy. Others are too booby (AKA my cleavage pours out during spin class). A few are a combo of the two. But, until now, exactly none of them have been jussst right. The Wolaco Walker Crop ($74) is, however, perfect. It’s made of compression fabric, so it really holds my boobs in so that they don’t bounce around during trampoline classes, but isn’t so tight that it feels suffocating. It’s high cut so that I can bend over my spin bike without having to worry about flashing the instructor, and long enough that I can wear it on its own (instead of with a shirt over it) and not feel wildly exposed. All of this was no accident: The bra was thoughtfully designed to help women avoid any sort of “mid-burpee boob slips” as the brand puts it (my personal nightmare), and then some. The fabric is made from recycled yarn, and doubled for extra support so that you’re not flopping around all over the place during your HIIT workout. It’s also meant to be super breathable thanks to perforated fabric and a low-cut back, which means the boob sweat situation is far more manageable than with other sports bras on the market. It’s also got an extra-strength elastic to hold it in place around
This Surprising Personality Trait Is Linked To A 15% Longer Lifespan
August 26, 2019 at 08:05PM Bring on the positive affirmations. Continue Reading… Author Jamie Schneider | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
You’re neglecting the tightest muscle in your leg—here’s exactly how to stretch it out
August 26, 2019 at 07:59PM by CWC Your calves can be pretty hard to stretch, and that stinks… because just about everything makes them tight. Whether you’re a runner, don’t drink enough water, or wear heels on the regular, it’s not uncommon to feel that tightness creep in and want to do away with it pronto. Lucky for your legs, one of the best ways to get relief is stretching it out like a yogi. “The calf muscles are made up of two muscles: the gastrocnemius, which is the large part, and the soleus, which is smaller and underneath,” says Sarah Frick, yoga instructor and founder of The Works. “Not only does your fitness affect tight calves, but so does sitting for a long period of time, any sort of prolonged travel, a high heel, or dehydration.” One of Frick’s favorite ways to stretch out her calf muscles is through the “short dog”—a subtle variation on the downward-facing dog that involves only stepping back a little in order to get a deeper stretch in your calves. If you’d prefer to stay seated, grab a blanket, roll it up into tight wad, and come to a kneeling position. Slide the blanket in the crook of your knees and sit down. You’ll immediately feel the pressure of the blanket easing into your calf muscles in that “hurt so good” kind of way. Both options are yoga teacher-approved, so enjoy them for as long as you want before moving on with your practice.
12 things manicurists want you to stop doing to your nails—like, yesterday
August 26, 2019 at 07:45PM by CWC Pretty much any time I find myself face-to-face with a professional tasked with taking care of me in some way—doctors, dentists, stylists, facialists, nutritionists, et al.—I feel a sense of shame around how I’ve been taking care of myself. (Read: imperfectly.) In most cases, I definitely have not been doing the things they’ve advised me to do between visits, like flossing twice a day (in the case of a dentist), while I often have been doing the thing they would like very much for me not to do (eating gummy foods like dried fruit). Walking into a nail salon is no different, especially if I’ve been wearing gels that have, by the time I get around to removing them, been peeled and pulled and just generally left on way too long. Until recently, the feedback I’d received had been delivered in the form of scornful looks, but trust me, the manicurist’s at my go-to salon are not happy about my habits. ad_intervals[‘415283_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘415283_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); I’m guessing I’m not alone in engaging in nail-based faux pas that give manicurists extra headaches. So, I polled a few to see which nail hygiene habits irk them the most. These are the things manicurists want you to stop doing ASAP 1. Picking your cuticles “That little piece of skin is just there… staring at you, catching on your sweater, hurting just enough to remind you it’s there,”
3 percent of adult women are diagnosed with ADHD—here’s what it was like for 4 of them
August 26, 2019 at 07:29PM by CWC One of the most harmful mental health stereotypes out there: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is only something that happens in little boys. While it’s true that ADHD affects three times more male than female children, it’s still an issue many women and girls face. Nearly 7 percent of female children are diagnosed with ADHD, per the National Institutes of Health—and 3 percent of adult women aged 18-44 years are diagnosed with it (which translates to roughly 3.4 million women). ADHD is a brain disorder that can affect a person’s attention span, mood, productivity, and memory, no matter their age or gender. But recent research suggests that women and girls can experience ADHD a bit differently than boys and men—which can affect a person’s ability to get a diagnosis. In a 2017 study out of Norway, the authors wrote that, compared to boys, girls and adults with ADHD tend to exhibit more symptoms of inattention (one of the hallmarks of ADHD) and mood and anxiety disorders and fewer hyperactive and disruptive behaviors (the other, more stereotypical symptoms of ADHD). And inattention, according to the authors of a 2014 review of studies on women and girls with ADHD, is often not as noticeable as hyperactivity. “Because symptom severity contributes to the likelihood of referral for treatment, girls may be less likely to be diagnosed and receive treatment,” they wrote. ad_intervals[‘418192_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘418192_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Another thing that may
The booty-strengthening yoga flow that perks your peach in 6 swift moves
August 26, 2019 at 07:15PM by CWC Welcome to Trainer of the Month Club, our brand-new fitness series, where we tap the coolest, most in-the-know fitness leaders to create a month-long fitness challenge. On Mondays, we have our “sweat drops” where you’ll get access to the week’s workout that you can follow along at home. This week, Val Verdier is taking you through a beginner yoga flow. There are approximately infinity reasons why people do yoga. For some, it’s about increasing flexibility. For others, it’s all about taking some time on the mat to zone out and forget the rest of the world. In this week’s edition of the Well+Good Trainer of the Month Club, Val Verdier of New York City’s Modo Yoga shows us exactly how to use yoga to get stronger. Her six-move series, which is meant to be done slowly and thoughtfully (it’s not one of those fast-paced power flows you might normally expect BTW), works every muscle in your lower body in a matter of minutes. By the time you’re done with the donkey kicks and squats, your glutes and thighs will be on fire. ad_intervals[‘418224_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘418224_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Follow along with the workout below, and don’t forget to check back next week for September’s Trainer of the Month with an all new trainer. View this post on Instagram Ready for the final week of our August Trainer of the Month Club?! For Week 4, our amazing
The fastest way to gracefully get out of stuff you don’t want to do
August 26, 2019 at 06:42PM by CWC My sister and I shared a bedroom throughout childhood. For the two of us, setting boundaries meant splitting our assigned chamber right down the middle—and screaming “Get out of my room!” when either of us dared step over the invisible line. Was it a flawed system? Absolutely. But the idea of carving out clear boundaries—no matter your age—is 100 percent necessary for both mental and physical health. That’s why Nicole LePera, PhD, a holistic psychologist in Philadelphia, has a three-step plan for turning down an invitation that just doesn’t deserve the space on your calendar. “This practice is extremely difficult. It’s something I still struggle with, but with time it really feels better and better,” she writes in a recent Instagram post. “Our natural impulse is to explain ourselves. We’ve been conditioned to do this.” Being the “yes” person ultimately doesn’t serve you, your mental health, or the people that you’re reluctantly grabbing avocado toast with. Sometimes, it pays to say “no, thanks.” ad_intervals[‘418219_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘418219_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “The truth is you CAN say no for absolutely no reason at all,” writes the psychologist. “We are not required to give any explanation. And, I’ve come to find out when setting boundaries the explanation is what gets the most pushback. That’s why the best thing to do when setting boundaries is to begin with a gracious statement and end with the no. A no cannot be