Day: October 7, 2019

October 08, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC You’ve done your reading, and you’ve got the fiber scoop down. You understand that fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes; and that it promotes gut health, low cholesterol, and low blood sugar, and helps you feel full longer. You’ve even started trying to eat more fiber. Basically, you’ve mastered the 101-level life course on fiber. But experts say to really reap all of the nutrient’s benefits, you need to get serious about your fiber intake. Consider this your 201-level guide to eating more fiber…you know, without become a gassy, farty mess. 1. Eat more of it than you think you need The USDA’s 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans recommend 14 grams of dietary fiber per 1,000 kcals a day. That translates to a recommendation of between 25.2 and 28 grams of dietary fiber each day for women ages 18 to 50. Women in the U.S. get, on average, 15 grams a day, which means you likely need way more than you’re consuming, even if you’ve already significantly upped your daily amount. “I think [my clients] overestimate the amount that they get from certain things and don’t realize that it’s actually not so simple to get that 25 grams without a little bit of planning,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of Nutrition Starring You and author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. “They’re like, ‘I had a big salad,’ and it was like three grams of fiber, because lettuce

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October 07, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC If someone were to check my Google history, they’d find any variety of searches on how to apply liquid eyeshadow, which blushes are the easiest to use with minimal effort, and how to perfectly match my foundation. But if you were to check the makeup-related inquiries of the entire United States, you would discover the most popular beauty brands in the country… and that’s exactly what skin-care company Sand and Sky did. They compiled data from Google Trends to determine the most-searched makeup brands in every state. While the luxury lineup was fascinating (people really love their IT Cosmetics and Laura Lee, huh?), what really struck my interest was the most-searched drugstore makeup brand in the U.S. The winner? Drumroll please: Physicians Formula. This was news to me, as it’s admittedly not the first name that pops into my head when I think, “drugstore cosmetics.” But it’s actually an under-the-radar, makeup artist-beloved makeup line that’s chock-full of dependable cosmetics bags staples. And it’s known for having hypoallergenic, safer-for-your-skin ingredients, which is great news for those with sensitive skin or eyes that tend to water up from certain mascaras (raises hand). Plus, it’s something you can get at the drugstore, which means it’s better for your wallet. In case all of this didn’t give you enough reasons to love the brand, the story behind it also happens to be aww-worthy levels of romantic. Physicians Formula was founded by an allergist who wanted to create makeup

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October 07, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Here in New York City, some boutique fitness spots have a reputation for turning their “studios” into glorified sweatboxes. Despite the air conditioning vents and the industrial fans in every corner, some instructors insist on literally turning up the heat. And Ambyr D’Amato, a group fitness instructor at Crunch Gym, says that—ironically—hotter than hot rooms aren’t doing your sweat goals any favors. “I think the room best serves the students in the class if the temperature is comfortable. Often, I find that if it’s too hot or too cold during a spin class, students are distracted by being uncomfortable,” says D’Amato. “I also think the fan is helpful in both spin and yoga because no one wants to breathe in deeply if the air is stale and uncirculated.” It’s safe to say that inhaling your neighbor’s stank won’t exactly inspire you to “get up that hill.” What’s more: sweat can give the illusion that your body’s hard at work when, in reality, it’s just hot as the dickens. “I can’t work people as hard if they are already sweating before they’ve even done anything. I like to make people sweat because they are moving and working hard,” D’Amato adds. If you find yourself dripping with perspiration in a room that’s an average temperature, then you know you’re sweating from exertion. Not from near heat stroke. As trainer Sal Di Stefano said on a recent episode of the Mind Pump podcast: “The workout has to

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October 07, 2019 at 09:30PM by CWC “The orgasm gap” is a buzzy term that describes a harsh sexual reality: women don’t experience an orgasm during sex as often as men. Only 65 percent of straight women (compared to 95 percent of heterosexual men) reported climaxing “always” or “usually” when having sex with a familiar partner, according to a 2017 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. While there’s no single solution to bridge this particular divide in sexual pleasure, Zhana Vrangalova, PhD, LELO sexpert and NYU professor of human sexuality, says that staying open-minded about anal sex could be promising for the future of female gratification. The orgasm gap affects women of all sexual orientations, though not equally, according to Dr. Vrangalova. “It is especially true for heterosexual and bisexual women. Lesbian women have higher rates of orgasm compared to women of other sexual orientations—although still somewhat lower rates than men of all sexual orientations,” explains the sexuality expert. Research suggests that anal sex, partnered with the other acceptance-driven acts that come along with it, could pave the way for inclusive orgasms in the future. Dr. Vrangalova points to a study that looked at the kinds of sexual acts participants had engaged in during the most recent time they had partnered sex. Researchers then asked the 1,931 adults how often they orgasmed during these encounters. “They found that women were significantly more likely to report orgasm during their most recent sexual event if they gave oral sex, received

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October 07, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Confession: I don’t wear perfume. In part, this is because I grew up with a mom whose heady fragrances from ’80s and ’90s left me with a headache, and in part, it’s because I’m a hippie who naively thinks people (read: those I want to be attracted to me) will be more turned on by my natural scent than anything from a bottle. (Spoiler alert: I’m still single.) Still, I love cologne on a man—especially the way it lingers after a makeout sesh or on a borrowed shirt. If you think about it, that kind of disproves my theory around the allure of going au naturel.  And so, to educate myself about all things fragrance, including how best to apply a spritz, I tapped Stephen Nilsen, the Givaudan perfumer responsible for scents such as Calvin Klein Dark Obsession and Drew Barrymore Flower: Pretty Deadly Collection, among others. He’s as romantic in spirit as I would imagine a perfumer to be, as evidenced by his initial description of how fragrances are concocted. “How is a fragrance built? How is a building built? Where does love come from? How do people dream?,” he responds. Every fragrance is “a journey,” which can start with the perfumer being inspired by a new place or smell or distilled “natural” (aka plant) or by a sunset or a piece of art. Nilsen isn’t just a pro at mixing some of the most popular bottles of fragrance out there, he’s

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October 07, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Have you ever felt like things were too good to be true with the person you’re dating? At the very beginning, perhaps they showered you with compliments, attention, and, in general, made you feel as special as you are. But as soon as you felt comfortable settling into what seemed to be your new normal, your partner flipped the script. You, my friend, may just be the unfortunate subject of a love-bomb situation. A love bomb refers to the form of emotional manipulation in which a person, often a narcissist, “bombs” you with an OTT amount of affection, flattery, gifts, and praise early in the relationship in order to win over your attention for the purpose of being able to control you. “People with narcissistic personality disorder typically have such a low sense of security in themselves that they get their self-esteem from external validation,” says therapist Mallory Grimste, LCSW. “Since they feel so out of control, they try to control others in order to feel better about themselves.” But it’s tough to notice the early signs of love-bombing since it generally takes place during the portion of a narcissist’s abuse cycle when things are great, says Grimste. (Remember, narcissists are charming for a period of time from the outset.) A love bomb refers to when a narcissist, “bombs” you with an OTT amount of affection, flattery, gifts, and praise early in the relationship in order to win over your attention for the

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October 07, 2019 at 06:55PM by CWC I hate to admit it, but I’m a sloucher. When I’m working, when I’m watching TV—you name it. Even with my bad habits, I’m not really sure if my posture is really all that bad. To find out once and for all, I turned to the “Triple S,” a super-quick way to check for correct posture. Triple S stands for skull, scapulae, and sacrum, three very important parts of your body when it comes to making sure you’re standing upright, according to physical therapist and yoga teacher Lara Heimann, PT. “The back of the skull should be in line with the scapulae and the sacrum—the lowest part of the spine made of 5 to 6 fused vertebrae—which creates a neutral spine with its natural curves and a neutral pelvis,” she tells me. “Understanding and embodying neutral is important for better movement mechanics. When someone is living with a sub optimal posture, not only can that lead to perceived tightness, restriction and grouchiness in the joints and connective tissue, suboptimal posture limits movement variability and efficiency.” The easiest way to find your correct posture is to stand with your back against a wall. You’ll want to position yourself so your sacrum, back of the skull, and scapulae are all touching the wall. Then, when you press into the wall, you’ll discover your primary curves and get feedback on where your head needs to be for correct posture. The brain is more resistant to discovering

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