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Day: September 7, 2019

You and your body

This genius convertible tote is basically three bags for the price of one

3 min read

September 08, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC I recently learned that I am a person who is perhaps prone to mistaking “instamacy” for intimacy. The key difference is that one is an instant, intense connection while the other is a connection that continues to develop over time. I’ve done this both in relationship-type situations, as well as with my wardrobe. (That initial rush after purchasing a new item you think will be life-changing is heavy, people.) I bring this up because the love affair I have with the Cuyana Convertible Satchel is definitely the latter. And as a person who has both owned and coveted many handbags in her lifetime, I feel qualified in saying that it is the perfect bag. At $425, it’s not exactly a steal, but believe it when I say that it is basically the only bag you’ll need for anything ever.  It’s the J. Lo of handbags—a true multi-hyphenate. Going to work? Off to hide the body of your friend’s manipulative ex? This bag has got you covered. It nails the size-to-pockets ratio. You know what I’m talking about. Too few pockets, and there’s not enough space to store your lip butters and CVS receipts, so they end up lining the bottom of your bag like the world’s saddest “what’s inside your bag” segment. Too many pockets, and it’s like looking into Hermione’s bag with the undetectable charm, only without the magical ability to call forth exactly what you’re looking for. This bag serves an

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Yoga You and your body

Reiki? I don’t know her… so I had experts break down the energy healing practice

5 min read

September 07, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Of the holistic healing modalities gaining in popularity—acupuncture, healing stones, qigong meditation, to name a few—reiki remains one of the most opaque. And if you’ve seen reiki therapy performed, with a practitioner hovering their hands a few inches above the person they’re treating, it can seem pretty out there. So, I asked a few reiki experts to break down the practice for me, including how to do reiki on yourself. What is reiki? “Reiki is an alternative therapy commonly referred to as energy healing,” says Leslie Saglio, life coach, reiki practitioner, and yoga instructor. “It was introduced in 1920 by a Buddhist monk [named Mikao Usui] in Japan. Then it was brought to the U.S. through Hawaii in the 1940s and then to Europe in the 1980s. The word reiki itself comes from the Japanese language. Rei means universal consciousness, and ki means life force energy.” On her website, reiki master Kelsey Patel describes the practice by writing, “Everything in life is, on a scientific level, made up of energy. Your body is made of energy. Everyone is energy. And, as energy, we have the ability to emit and absorb energy as well.” Following that philosophy, during a reiki session, a practitioner will either place their hands directly on the client’s body or let hover them above the body in order to channel the life force energy through their hands. “It allows any stuck or stagnant energy to basically release itself,” Saglio says.

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Vegetarians You and your body

How to reap all the nutritional rewards of black beans—without the digestive discomfort

4 min read

September 07, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Even if you’re a die-hard meat lover, it’s impossible to ignore the rise in plant-based eating. Alt-products just keep getting more accessible and better tasting—a win no matter what you’re eating plan of choice is. Of course when you’re swapping meat for a vegan option, one of the main dilemmas is figuring out where to source that protein. Pretty often, black beans, come to the rescue as the solution. (It helps that they’re cheap and easy to find, too.) As plant-based eating continues to dominate, you can expect these humble little beans to take center stage in your food even more frequently. Which raises the question of just what sort of nutrition they bring to the table (literally). Are black beans healthy? Here’s a quick run-down of what a typical serving of black beans gets you: 15 grams of protein (the goal is to get roughly 46 grams a day), 15 grams of fiber (more than half of what’s recommended per day), and 40 grams of carbs. It’s that high-carb content that tends to trip people up when it comes to black beans, causing many to think that they aren’t, in fact, healthy. But Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center registered dietitian Samantha Cochrane, RD, says it’s nothing to stress over. “Part of black beans’ carb source is fiber,” she says. “Fiber is very healthy—especially because in this case, it’s in the form of soluble fiber, which is linked to lowering LDL cholesterol.”

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Fashion You and your body

How a minimalist bedroom helps you to declutter the rest of your life

5 min read

September 07, 2019 at 06:01PM by CWC Creating a minimalist bedroom is easier said than done—especially when you live in an apartment. I mean, there’s a Pilates reformer chillin’ next to my bed, a mini office set-up in the entryway, and a closet that’s overflowing with things that don’t fit anywhere else. Even though I keep things as tidy as possible, it’s always beneficial to do some rearranging, whether you live in a tiny space  or a five-bedroom house. When you’re surrounded by clutter—even if that’s just piles of clothes or too tightly-packed furniture—you’re left feeling stressed overwhelmed—the opposite of what you want in a room that’s purpose is helping you unwind and rejuvenate. “Sleep is one of the most important needs for well being. It’s a necessity to ensure we stay at our prime, from our immune systems, to our mental health and day to day function,” says Becky Shea of Becky Shea Designs. “The less you have in the space to distract your mind, the more you can focus on the value of sleep.” So, what exactly should your minimalist bedroom include? “Any minimalist space includes just enough and not much more,” says Megan Hopp, creative director at The Everset. “A minimalist bedroom should have three staples no matter what: a bed, a bedside table, and a light source. The rest can be played depending on the circumstance. It should always create a place of calm, and clutter can tip those scales into chaos quite easily.” Having the

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You and your body

Homemade bubble bath will give you a luxurious soak *without* a side of skin irritation

4 min read

September 07, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC As a child, I adamantly tried to turn every bath into a bubble bath. You could find me squeezing shampoo under the running faucet trying to create movie magic-level bubbles in vain. Bubble baths still have a permanent place in my self-care repertoire—but now I reach for products that are a little more sophisticated—because, when you’re a bath person, slipping into a steamy tub always feels luxurious. But wherever there’s a rose, there’s a thorn. The ingredients responsible for lather and bubbles are surfactants, some of which can be irritating if you have sensitive skin or a condition like eczema, says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. Likewise for commonly used ingredients like synthetic dyes and fragrances. Enter: the homemade stuff. “The advantage of using your own bath additives is that you can control exactly what your skin is coming in contact with,” Dr. Zeichner says. Whipping up homemade bubble bath is almost as simple as running soap under water, and only takes a few ingredients you probably already have around your home. What you can use for homemade bubble bath base Body soap Dr. Zeichner recommends using a foaming body wash you know you like, since the product is already designed to be gentle on skin. Nix those thoughts of using shampoo (5-year-old me didn’t know a darn thing), which can be irritating after extended exposure. We don’t really have to say this, but shampoo does its best work in your hair—not your body.

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You and your body

Overwhelmed to the point of glitching? Here’s how to find your reset button to manage stress

6 min read

September 07, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I’m not sure if you play the The Sims 4 like I do, or if you otherwise lead a rich, fulfilling life among people you can’t control, so roll with me here. Sometimes my Sim will start glitching and then promptly begin behaving like a moron, doing things like making garden salads on an endless loop or peeing themselves because they think they’re trapped behind a counter (JUST WALK AROUND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU, OMG). These Sims in distress seem trapped within their self-made states of being overwhelmed, unable to do anything right until you click the option to “Reset Object (Debug).” After a minute of standing still in a state of nothingness, they’ll finally be able to function. Clearly, the Sims could use some tips for how to manage stress, but since I feel like I—a real-life human being—was glitching just the other day, I could use some help in this department too. When I was moving a new roommate into my apartment last month, I was overwhelmed to the point of dysfunction. I couldn’t carry any more trash bags, I couldn’t unpack any more glassware, I was shaking and panicked, overcome with the refrain of “what do I do, what do I do, why can’t I do it.” Nearly paralyzed by the feeling, I did what felt the most reasonable: nothing. I sat in a chair and stared ahead in the silence for 5 or 10 minutes. What I

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