August 15, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC I’d written about egg freezing pretty extensively for multiple outlets—including Well+Good—before I decided to give it a go. For this reason, I thought I knew what to expect of the process: lots of shots, of course, and some sticker shock (to the tune of $15,000). I wasn’t even remotely nervous. I want babies and am not currently in a place to have them, so the idea of being proactive in some way about my fertility energized me. Friends who’d been through a freeze were reassuring, too. It wasn’t the favorite thing they’d ever done, but it “wasn’t that bad,” either, and now felt like they had a fertility insurance policy. “Not that bad” seemed like a pretty good trade-off for some peace of mind. However, there were a few aspects of the process for which I was in no way prepared, despite all of my research and advanced planning. Keep reading to find out what surprised me, and what I and other woman—polled after-the-fact—wish we had known before starting the freeze. 1. That first fertility consult can be super emotional (and disheartening) My fertility doctor sounded something like this during my first appointment: “Bad news, bad news, bad news, oops, now you’re crying, bad news, goodbye.” This was traumatizing because I hadn’t expected to hear anything negative. I was there to preserve fertility; I assumed that I was in good shape considering that my cycles were regular and I’m not “old” by fertility practice
Month: August 2019
I love you (long distance?): How I reclaimed 3 words for myself
August 15, 2019 at 04:02AM by CWC My boyfriend is hanging upside down when I realize—holy crap—I’m head over heels in love with him. We’re at a rock climbing gym in Queens, and I’m gawking up at his six-foot frame alongside a group of his closest friends as he scales a perilous course known as “the cave.” It should be impossible, but not for him. Suddenly, I think, “That person picked me! I picked him!” I want to cup my hands around my mouth and shout “Hey, you! I’m in love with you!” in a Say Anything-style boombox moment. He’s my first love and this should be it; this should be wonderful. Instead, my mind reels back to a conversation we’d had two weeks before. You see, my boyfriend—let’s call him Logan—recently accepted a job offer in the midwest that’s no hop, skip, and a jump away from me. In three months’ time, he’ll whisk himself away to a new life far from my home in New York City, and the inevitability of that move has made the subject of our “future” together sticky and painful. To make an apropos analogy—it now feels like I, too, am gripping precariously to multi-colored climbing holds against gravity’s better judgement. In three months’ time, he’ll whisk himself away to a new life far from my home in New York City, and the inevitability of that move has made the subject of our “future” together sticky and painful. Spending time with Logan now feels
A dermatologist says *this* ingredient is the little black dress of skin care
August 15, 2019 at 02:21AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0sqKBXyjls] Welcome to ‘Dear Derm,’ our brand-new series in which dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD shares serious skin-care realness. In each episode, she’ll answer your most burning beauty questions and give you all the tools you need to take your glow game to the next level. Ask any dermatologist to recommend one ingredient that should be a part of your morning skin routine, and they’ll send you straight for a bottle of vitamin C serum. “I think that vitamin C is essentially the LBD of skin care,” says board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, in the latest episode of Dear Derm by Beauty Geek. “It makes absolutely everybody look better.” Why the reputation? The superstar skin ingredient—otherwise known as L-ascorbic acid or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (you can probably understand why we just call it “vitamin C”)—is known for its antioxidant prowess, which fends off fine lines in the long run, while brightening and acting as an anti-inflammatory in the short term. Rushing out to buy 100 bottles of the liquid gold? Know this: “Vitamin C is an amazing ingredient, but just like that Bumble date you had that weekend, it sure isn’t perfect,” according to Dr. Gohara. That’s because it’s highly unstable (like Edward Cullen, it too, hates the sun), and so you have to look for three things (check out the video above to find out what they are!) to make sure that it retains its potency. Check out the video above for everything
This Travel Tip Will Help Stave Off Those Very Real Post-Vacay Blues
August 15, 2019 at 02:03AM Try it on your next trip! Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Bamboo Is Everywhere These Days — But How Sustainable Is It?
August 15, 2019 at 01:28AM It’s even more important in light of the recent IPCC report. Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Why Short-Chain Fatty Acids Are Key To A Healthy Gut & Immune System
August 15, 2019 at 12:18AM A GI doctor explains how to harness their power. Continue Reading… Author Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The Simple Trick That Will Make Literally Everything You Eat Healthier
August 15, 2019 at 12:08AM Upgrade your kitchen for under $20. Continue Reading… Author Liz Moody | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
How To Listen To Your Skin To Determine Your Daily Skin Care Routine
August 14, 2019 at 10:00PM Use different skin care products through the day to cater to your every skin need. Continue Reading… Author | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Hugger, high-fiver, or cheek-kisser? Your greeting style says a lot about your personality
August 14, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC I’m convinced that one of most cringeworthy feelings that can be experienced in life comes as a result of going in for a hug and being met with a handshake from the other person. Take a second now to imagine those uncomfortable fragments of a second when the handshaker’s arm sort of snakes into an adjusted position that could lend itself to either greeting, until one gesture inevitably wins out. Makes your skin crawl, right? While there are so many different ways of saying hi, hugging and handshakes tend to simply not mix, and the overarching reason for this may well have to do with the two tendencies reflecting very different personality types. While there’s no one explanation for how someone ends up as a hugger or a handshaker, but the way you’re socialized certainly plays in. One 2012 study published in Comprehensive Psychology asserts that how we react to physical touch is “is an important element in a child’s emotional upbringing,” and can influence our behaviors into adulthood. For instance, if your childhood resembled a string of Full House episodes, you’re likely to be a big-time hugger in adulthood. And if your childhood was all about the stiff upper lip, you may not be so inclined to show affection upfront. So regardless of your preference for ways of saying hi, you can feel okay about foisting at least some blame on your parents. And if your greeting style doesn’t fall in either category?
S’well made water bottles cool—and now they’re coming for your meal prep routine
August 14, 2019 at 03:30PM by CWC Five years ago, who would have thought that designer water bottles would be a Thing? Yet, having a S’well stainless steel water bottle has become a chic workout accessory. Whether you’re into the marble design, teakwood, or one with a psychedelic print, spending $35 on something to hold your water has become normalized just like buying $110 leggings and $60 sports bras. They’re just so pretty. Well, get ready for your kitchen to get a lot more attractive, too. Tomorrow, the brand is launching a new lines under its S’well Food umbrella, including S’well Eats (portable bowls that keep food hot or cold), S’nack by S’well (portable snacking containers), and Barware. All three new offshoots have the same stainless steel, sleek designs that made the water bottles a cult favorite. Both the bowls and snacking containers come in two sizes (small and large), are microwaveable safe, and keep food the desired temp for between six and eight hours. Prices range between $20 and $50. The Barware includes wine tumblers, an ice bucket, carafe, wine chiller, and even champagne flutes all in either gold, black marble, or teakwood. Like everything else in the S’well lines, it has triple-layer insulation and keeps bevvies chilled for up to eight hours, which means it’s here for your beach and picnic days. As sustainability becomes a bigger focus, more brands are working to create solutions that are not only better for the planet but actually look cool, too.