September 10, 2019 at 09:46PM by CWC It’s a complete myth that some people come out of the womb just bursting with confidence. You’re not born with or without it; it’s learned. This is important to remember if you have a tendency of sitting in your office chair, stewing with imposter syndrome, wishing you were a bit more like the calm and collected woman giving off total boss vibes to your left. According to life coach and author of What If It Does Work Out? Susie Moore, there are small rituals you can do every day that in time lead to increased confidence and self-assurance. Both Moore and Joanna Stahl, CEO of Go2Practice, put their own confidence tips into practice every day, and it’s easy for you to follow their lead. Tips for confidence 1. Smile like you mean it “Yes, even f you don’t feel like it,” Moore says. “Roll your shoulders back, tilt your chin up, and put a smile on your dial. Studies show that acting the way we want to feel can impact our mood and confidence levels, fast.” She’s right: A study out of the University of Kansas found that smiling actually works to reduce the body’s response to stress. And when you aren’t stressed, it’s much easier to give off chill vibes. 2. Throw out a Compliment While you want to make sure it’s genuine—giving out compliments you don’t really mean is and seems insincere, Moore says that complimenting someone else is a quick way
Day: September 10, 2019
Why experts want you to give a hard pass to the OMAD diet
September 10, 2019 at 09:44PM by CWC Another day, another acronym, another questionable diet. Today, it’s the OMAD diet, which is shorthand for the “one-meal-a-day” diet. I’m admittedly not a fan of fad diets in general, but just the name of this one makes me roll my eyes way back into my head. Limiting oneself to one meal a day sounds right off the bat like a deeply questionable idea. On the other hand, there are some potential benefits to intermittent fasting (IF), and limiting yourself to one meal a day would qualify as such. “The OMAD diet seems to be intermittent fasting to the extreme, where you fast 23 hours [per day] and eat one hour,” says Dana Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center. “The argument for it is that you will be eating fewer calories over the course of a day…and that you would dip into your fat reserves for energy utilization—meaning you’ll preferentially burn fat over carbohydrates.” As with other types of intermittent fasting, Hunnes says the main potential benefit to this diet is weight management. “Research shows that restricting eating to a smaller time window than the average American currently eats within may provide benefits for [healthy weight management], metabolic risk factor reduction, and chronic disease prevention,” adds Whitney English, RD. What’s intermittent fasting, exactly? Here’s the low-down from an RD: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkGmfcg4Epc] With that said, English offers the first of several caveats to the OMAD diet. “The research in humans is
How 2019 became the peak era of society’s infatuation with personality types
September 10, 2019 at 09:03PM by CWC These days, many dating profiles include the person’s Myers-Briggs type. And it’s tough to find any sort of publication that doesn’t cover astrology—though those pieces of content now have to compete hard with all the dedicated apps and platforms cropping up to serve the growing zodiac sect. Enneagram is also going more mainstream: 2019’s Millenneagram by Hannah Paasch speaks to a millennial audience that’s very interested in introspection, understanding why they do the things they do, and how that intel can inform where they fit in the world. I am among those millennials, and this cultural craze for tests and indicators that diagnose different personality types is indeed of high interest to me. Of course, personality tests themselves aren’t new and have had an audience for quite some time. “There has always been a lot of interest in quizzes that (purport) to tell us something deep about ourselves,” says Art Markman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin. Pre-internet, these quizzes appeared for the most part in monthly magazines and weekly newspapers, with horoscope offerings being available daily, depending on the publication. But the internet has changed the way we consume these systems in several ways. “First, online quizzes can give what seems to be more personalized scoring, because they don’t involve using a simple score sheet like they had in the magazines,” says Dr. Markman. “As a result, you only see the results applicable to you and not
In a battle between hummus and guac, which healthy snack dip wins?
September 10, 2019 at 08:24PM by CWC If you’re throwing a party and you don’t plan to serve hummus and guacamole, don’t bother sending me an invitation. Just kidding. However, I will cease to trust your snacking prowess and will bring my own avocado and chickpea dips from here on out, thank you very much. When it comes to what healthy dips reign supreme, there’s no question: guac and hummus come out on top. Registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, the host of You Versus Food, says that while both dips deserve a spot in the lineup, each packs its own nutritional strengths. “Hummus and guac are sitting pretty at the top of the snacking hierarchy,” says Beckerman. “Hummus is smooth and creamy, whereas guac is chunky and refreshing. And most importantly, they pair well with basically everything.” (Crudités! Pita chips! Hard boiled eggs! Whole wheat crackers!) What is the healthiest dip? Hummus “When comparing two tablespoons, in standard, store-bought hummus and guac, there is a tad more unsaturated fat and protein in hummus than guac. That means you may stay fuller longer if you go for the hummus over the guac,” says the dietitian. As the author of The Better Period Food Solution, Beckerman also strongly believes that your food choices should sync up with your cycle. And when Aunt Flo comes calling, she says hummus may prove a better choice than guac. “If it’s your time of the month, reach towards the hummus over the guacamole to replenish
I tried J. Lo’s Hustlers pole dancing workout, and I’ve never felt sexier or stronger
September 10, 2019 at 08:02PM by CWC As a fitness editor who spends a significant portion of her time either working out, thinking about working out, or writing about working out, there’s always something intimidating about walking into a class that I’ve never tried before. Multiply that by 10,000 when that class is pole dancing…with Jennifer Lopez‘s trainer from Hustlers…surrounded by work colleagues. I spent two full days stressing out about what to wear. I emailed a publicist, texted three friends who had taken pole dancing classes before, and posed the question to my entire office. “Don’t stress!” the publicist assured me, but even so, I strongly considered sipping a pre-workout glass of wine to take the edge off. When I walked in wearing my usual black sports-top-and-leggings combo and saw a woman in leopard booty shorts and a lacy tank top, I immediately felt like I’d made a mistake, both in showing up and in deciding to skip the wine. Mental strength meets physical toughness The class, which was taught by Johanna Sapakie, was meant to put a group of editors through the exact training regimen that Jennifer Lopez went through as she prepped to play a stripper in Hustlers. Take one look at the movie’s trailer—in which J. Lo, her no-bullshit attitude, and every well-defined muscle in her body can be seen hanging every which way on a pole—and it’s clear that whatever she did to prep was no damn joke. On the day of the event, my sexless black outfit
5,000 retinol products have launched in the past 3 years, but we’re most excited about this drugstore diamond
September 10, 2019 at 08:01PM by CWC With years of dermatologist intel under our belts, we’ve always said that retinol is one of the few skin-care products that’s almost always worth splurging on. But with the launch of Olay’s Retinol24, which you can get at the drugstore as of today, we’re seriously reconsidering that sentiment. Retinol is having a major moment: In the last three years, more than 5,000 new retinoids have been released onto the market, according to research done by Olay. But despite its popularity, the skin-transforming ingredient generally tends to get a bad rap for being irritating… which is something Olay is trying to do away with in its latest formulation. “Retinoids don’t have to irritate—it’s not a part of their mode of action, like a laser or chemical peel where injuring your skin is actually a part of the process,” says Frauke Neuser, MD, Olay’s principal scientist that spoke with a group of editors at the launch event. “It’s literally a side effect, and you want to get rid of it.” The brand’s three newest retinol products—which include a nighttime serum, moisturizer, and eye cream—have officially raised the bar on what we can expect from affordable, over-the-counter retinoids. They combine retinol and retinyl propionate, which are small vitamin A molecules that penetrate the skin deeply in order to thicken the epidermis and help smooth the texture of the surface, with soothing ingredients like glycerin, peptides, and niacinamide that help nourish the skin on top of that.
Suicide prevention is about more than hotlines. Here’s how *you* could save a life
September 10, 2019 at 07:55PM by CWC On World Suicide Prevention Day, millions of people are connecting with one shared goal: to raise awareness and spark action to help prevent suicide. Here, psychologist and Well+Good Council member Drew Ramsey, MD explains why reducing stigma and normalizing mental health are so important—and how anyone (yes, you!) can help save lives. Not long ago, I spoke to a close friend who had been struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Statistically speaking, his condition is more common than you might think. Men die by suicide 3.5 more often than women, and middle-aged white men have the highest rate of suicide among all people. My friend, fortunately, realized that help was available—and in seeking out treatment, he was able to successfully address his mental health symptoms. I asked him what had prevented him from engaging in treatment earlier. He looked at me and said one word: stigma. He had feared being labeled or judged because of his mental health issues. As a psychiatrist, I know that he’s far from the only person who feels that stigma around seeking treatment for depression. I also know that silence, shame, and stigma cost lives. In 2017 alone, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts, and the rate of deaths by suicide has been rising since 2011. If we can remove the stigma around mental health, we can reduce that number. The good news is that frank conversations about suicide, suicidal thoughts, and depression are happening more than ever
This comfy neck pillow is the only way an off-duty flight attendant gets any sleep on a plane
September 10, 2019 at 05:46PM by CWC Getting comfortable on an airplane isn’t easy. And falling asleep during your flight is particularly challenging, what with the shrinking leg room and reclined-seat battles. Sarah Foster, a New York City-based flight attendant behind the blog Flying with Foster, knows this all too well. Some days she’s working up to four flights in a single day. While she doesn’t get much a chance for shut-eye while she’s on the job, she takes full advantage of a super soft neck pillow on the weekly flights she takes off-duty. If anyone’s an expert in choosing a travel neck pillow that’ll help you get some sleep in the sky, it’s Foster. “Comfort and functionality is very important, but I personally look for something I can pack easily over anything else,” she tells me. “I live out of a suitcase most of the time and it can get hard to fit everything I need in my carry-on, so something that’s easily portable is the most desirable quality to me.” Photo: Trtl After hundreds of flights, Foster’s travel neck pillow of choice exceeds the standards for comfort and portability. The Trtl Pillow ($30), which wraps around your head like a scarf. It’s soft, machine washable, and—most importantly—prevents you from nodding as you’re falling asleep by holding your head upright. “This is—in my opinion—the best travel neck pillow if you’re looking for one that’s easily transportable and won’t take up a lot of space in your luggage,” Foster says.
4 dermatologist-backed ways to keep your skin barrier healthy (and honestly they’re so easy)
September 10, 2019 at 05:20PM by CWC Your skin barrier is like your very own zone defense. All around the clock, it’s keeping you protected from skin enemies like pollution, UV rays, dust, gunk—the list goes on. And yet, for the skin barrier to become an MVP, it needs some tender-loving care of its own. “Your skin barrier is the protective layer that guards you from the environment and stops your skin from losing fluids,” explains Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “It’s made up of lipids and cells.” When it’s not functioning at its best, it can’t do its job at an optimal level, which means your skin can get damaged. “The more irritated or damaged it is, the less effectively it maintains the moisture barrier,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. This results in things like dryness, inflammation, and sensitized skin. “A normal, healthy skin barrier means your skin is even, toned, and smooth, with no redness or inflammation,” says Dr. Patel. Yes, please. Keep reading for the four expert-approved ways to keep your skin barrier thriving. 1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate Keeping your skin moisturized is essential for happy skin, and it’s also a key part of maintaining your barrier. “Ceramides, glycerin, and other lipophilic agents act like cement and help heal the cracks to restore moisture,” says Dr. Patel, who stresses that you should moisturize your skin daily with these ingredients. Gentle moisturizer options include this Skinfix Barrier+ Lipid-Peptide Lotion
New to HIIT? Follow these 6 insider tips to slay your workouts
September 10, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Different workout classes are scary for different reasons. Yoga’s intimidating because it can easily make you fart in public (sorry, but it’s true). I’m always afraid to clip into a spin bike because I don’t know how to clip back out. And if I rewind it back to before I started doing HIIT, I’ve gotta admit that the fast-paced intensity of boot camps and other high intensity interval training workouts was very, very intimidating. HIIT workouts are enticing for a lot of reasons—they’re short, they’re effective, and you can do them anywhere without equipment. So it pays off to eat that frog and at least give HIIT a whirl for the sake of sweat. HIIT workouts push you hard. “They bring your body to the point of exhaustion since they alternate between intense anaerobic periods followed by less intense, but working recovery periods, and on and on,” says Branko Teodorovic, FlexIt master trainer. But, not everyone’s at the same fitness level—so how do you ensure that you nail your first high intensity sweat sesh? “Intensity is different for everyone, so my HIIT workout as an advanced athlete will be completely different from someone who’s just starting out,” says Evan James Betts, founding trainer of GRIT BXNG. He also points out that HIIT doesn’t necessarily equate to complex movements, so you could still be doing basic exercises like squat jumps or tuck jumps to get a great workout. So that you feel the absolute most confident strolling