November 21, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTohjJPsHSY] There are very few things you can get these days for a dollar—even a lottery ticket will run you two whole bucks these days. But according to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, the best cleanser you can use on both your face and body costs less than what you’d spend on a single-serving bottle of kombucha. In the latest episode of Dear Derm, Dr. Gohara breaks down all of her favorite under-$30 skin-care products that you can find at the drugstore. The one product she swears by in the shower for her own head-to-toe skin-care regimen is the $1-a-pop Dove Beauty Bar (okay, okay it’s a dollar and some change per bar). “It’s great because it’s a non-soap cleanser, deposits moisture in your skin as it cleanses, and it keeps your skin barrier super healthy,” she says, noting that she uses it in a warm (never hot!) shower to cleanse her body and face all in one fell swoop. “It’s a great find, super affordable and definitely something to get.” And the beauty bar isn’t the only drugstore skin-care product that will give you ample bang for your not-so-big buck. In the video above, she breaks down an entire 9-step routine that, in total, costs $110 (Waiting on final product prices in video to confirm). And that includes two serums, a mask, one of the most effective and affordable retinoids on the market (which, it’s worth noting, Dr. Gohara also uses in
Day: November 21, 2019
True or false: It’s a good idea to drink green tea right before bed
November 21, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a safe bet that the coming weeks will be filled with festive drinks, jam-packed social schedules, and late nights celebrating with loved ones. Great for the soul, perhaps not so great for our sleep schedules. Which is why so many of us, particularly this time of year, reach for sleep-promoting foods and drinks to help promote maximum snooze time, from magnesium tablets to cacao-based snacks. But when it comes to sleepytime sips, what’s the best thing to drink to ensure a restful sleep? One thing you can certainly cross off your list: green tea before bed. To be clear, green tea isn’t bad for you. Far from it—there’s a lot of research that shows that green tea offers up lots of benefits for heart and brain health. Most of these perks come down to a type of antioxidant compound present in the green tea. “The polyphenols such as flavonols, especially the catechin epicalocatechin gallate (EGCG), in green tea contribute to the variety of potential health benefits found in research studies,” says Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. “These include neuroprotective benefits as well as contribution to prevention of blood sugar irregularities and cardiovascular disease,” she explains. Curious about other green tea benefits? Get the lowdown from a top dietitian: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADUuZrFQX7M] It also offers up a smaller amount of caffeine than other drinks with only 29 milligrams per cup. Compare that to black coffee’s 90
The surprising hormone that protects against heart disease
November 21, 2019 at 08:30PM by CWC You may go days (or even weeks or years) at a time without thinking about your hormones. For example, estrogen is well-known primary hormone produced by your ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat tissues that’s primarily associated with the vital role it plays during puberty. But it affects your life far beyond your early teenage years. According to Nataki Douglas, MD, PhD, chair of Modern Fertility Medical Advisory Board, estrogen also helps to shield against heart disease. At the most recent Well+Good TALK in New York City, “Why Your Hormones Are at the Center of Everything,” Dr. Douglas explained why estrogen is a heart health superstar. “When we’re looking at estrogen in a reproductive age woman, we’re looking at the great protective effect estrogen has on our heart,” she said. “As women, we have a much lower risk of heart disease as compared to men… What really governs that is estrogen. Estrogen helps keep our good cholesterol—HDL—high, and our bad cholesterol—LDL—low. Estrogen works to keep the blood vessels dilated and pliable, so there’s easy blood flow and not a lot of plaque.” As estrogen levels begin to fall naturally in postmenopausal women, the risk of heart disease increases. When estrogen levels are low, but they’re premenopausal, Dr. Douglas says that can be cause for concern. “As a reproductive endocrinologist, I think about women who have low estrogen when they’re premenopausal. If you’re in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, and your estrogen levels are low,
7 healthy foods Japanese centenarians eat each day for longevity
November 21, 2019 at 08:12PM by CWC Healthy Japanese foods make it easy to create a vibrant plate that resembles a nutritional masterpiece. According to Blue Zones—an organization dedicated to studying the habits of the world’s longest-living people—residents of Okinawa, a Japanese prefecture comprising more than 150 islands in the East China Sea, enjoy the longest life expectancy in the world. On the islands, women and men can expect to live 84 and 90 years, respectively. It’s no secret that diet plays a major role in longevity. The healthy Japanese foods centenarians in Okinawa reach includes a variety of riches of the ocean and the earth. 7 healthy Japanese foods the people of Okinawa eat daily 1. Bitter melons In Okinawa, bitter melons are called “goya” and they’re often found in vegetable-heavy dishes. “Bitter melons have an ‘anti-diabetic’ property where they actually assist in lowering blood glucose levels,” says registered dietitian Melissa Rifkin, RD. 2. Tofu “Tofu is to Okinawans what bread is to the French and potatoes are to Eastern Europeans: a daily habit,” says the Blue Zones blog. There’s a good reason why. According to Rifkin, tofu can help reduce cholesterol. It’s also an excellent source of plant-based protein. 3. Sweet potatoes “Sweet potato boasts many health benefits,” says Rifkin. “It is called the ‘imo’ and is a powerhouse of nutrition. This particular potato does not increase blood glucose levels, like a regular potato would, and the leaves are consumed—which contain fiber. They also contain an antioxidant called
6 easy ways to keep your indoor plants alive during the dark days of winter
November 21, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Baby, it’s cold outside, and since your indoor plants can’t exactly slip on a sweater—or strip down to their skivvies if you can’t control the heat in your apartment—the change in season means attending to them with a little extra care. This is somewhat counterintuitive, at least to me, as I feel most dedicated to my plants when sweltering temps are dehydrating them; however, all sorts of seasonal factors could be making your plants sad right now. To get some intel into what needs to be done to make them happy again—aside from tuning in to this Spotify “Music for Plants” playlist—I tapped Erin Marino of plant shop The Sill. Below, Marino offers her best advice for how to keep your indoor plants alive and healthy through the chilly season’s most brutal days, so they can thrive again come spring. How to keep your indoor plants alive through the winter 1. Increase the light The sun (depressingly, IMO) sets earlier in the winter, and Marino points out that it’s also lower in the sky and can often be covered by clouds. “To make sure your indoor plants are getting enough light during this time of year, you might want to move them closer to their natural light source, the window, or give them some supplemental lighting,” she says. To this end, The Sill sells a grow light so stylish you don’t have to hide it, or you could try making this DIY grow
What therapists say it means if you think about an ex during sex
November 21, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Ever find yourself in the heat of the moment—with a new or not new partner—when all of a sudden, your ex pops into your head? Your mind starts racing because you don’t understand what’s happening. You wonder, “Why am I thinking about someone else? Should I tell my partner? Does this mean I don’t even like my partner?” While the situation can be confusing and potentially even anxiety-provoking, you can take solace in knowing you’re hardly alone in your extra-relationship thoughts. In fact, there’s some evidence to support that your bedmate might be having the very same thoughts—but, um, why is this a thing at all? According to a survey by British sex-toy brand Lovehoney, 46 percent of women and 42 percent of men say they’ve thought about someone else during sex. Furthermore, 60 percent of men and women say they thought about an ex during sex, with 15 percent noting that this happens often. Beyond it being a common thought, there are a number of reasons to explain why an ex might pop into your head at all while you’re having sex with someone else. “Maybe you haven’t created a sexual narrative with your current partner yet, and you might just need more time getting to know your partner sexually.” —relationship therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT. “Maybe you haven’t created a sexual narrative with your current partner yet, and you might just need more time getting to know your partner sexually,” says relationship
What tonight’s rare and mysterious unicorn meteor shower means for your zodiac sign
November 21, 2019 at 05:54PM by CWC As if the universe knows we’ve reached the end of this troubled year fatigued and downtrodden, it’s decided to throw us a bone—or, more accurately, sprinkle us with comet dust—in the form of a rare unicorn meteor shower. On Thursday night, an outburst of the alpha Monocerotid meteor shower, known colloquially as the unicorn meteor shower because it is visible near the unicorn constellation of Monoceros, will make a stunning appearance in the night sky. This shower originated in a slow-moving, unknown comet’s dust, and it’s rare for it to come so close to Earth’s orbit. But it puts on a spectacular show when it does, one that’s only been replicated four times in the last century—1925, 1935, 1985, and 1995. Experts predict that anywhere from 100 to 1,000 meteors will “perform” in the event this evening. This extraordinary nature show is expected to peak at 11:50 p.m. ET. To imbue the event with a sense of meaning, I asked two prominent astrologers for their read on what the shower means generally, and then specifically for each zodiac sign. After all, meteor showers aren’t just awe-inspiring but also astrologically significant. “Comets represent messengers of change. While meteor showers aren’t quite the same thing, they represent spiritual insights and wisdom about what’s happening on the earth. They invite us to rethink our ideas and make changes to our thinking patterns. They are like bursts of aha moments,” says intuitive astrologer and healer Rachel Lang.
Loofahs are disgusting, so we found your next shower companion
November 21, 2019 at 02:54PM by CWC Recently I found an anemone-esque disk suctioned to a bathroom that I was occupying for a weekend away: red, precarious, and with little divets all around it. It seemed to be friendly, but I, stuck with my sad travel loofah, didn’t touch it. And then like a modern love story in the making, the Boie shower scrubber ($8) found its way back to me through a targeted ad. If you’ve not yet been acquainted, the disk is an exfoliating, antimicrobial, and delightfully flexible alternative to loofahs (boo) and washcloths (double boo). Oh right—I hate being very Bad News Bears about this, but loofahs are factually disgusting. Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Files, previously told Well+Good that loofahs are a veritable bacteria fiesta (okay, my words, not his). And studies support this, adding an extra element of terror: After 10 short days bacteria tends to multiply and party hard. Not even a full two weeks! In conclusion: awful, gross, and I hate it. So back to me being naked with my sea creature scrubber. The disk is made of a rubberlike material called thermoplastic elastomer that makes it 100 percent recyclable and down to curve and bend on your body. And ooh! It can handle whatever your favorite body wash is for the ultimate sudsy experience. A fun and sexy running joke is that in my life is that I never feel thoroughly clean (nor do my bathroom surroundings), and
How this entrepreneur is making yoga more inclusive—one practice at a time
November 21, 2019 at 02:30PM by CWC https://content.jwplatform.com/players/RncmeiuV-AjgxWzQ7.js Meet Wellness Collective, our immersive curriculum with Athleta that hooks you up with actionable advice from the smartest experts and brand founders in wellness right now. Get the goods at our monthly event series in New York City, plus our online one-month wellness plans. When you enter a yoga or meditation session, you’re generally focused on you and trying to ignite that inner balance through movement or intention-setting. But for Nicole Cardoza, founder of Yoga Foster—a nonprofit that empowers school teachers with yoga resources for the classroom—she’s not on the mat for just a clear head or better balance. “My work is really rooted in understanding where the gaps are in wellness and how we can make it more accessible,” she says. And to do that, Cardoza immerses herself in underserved communities to understand what they really need out of a well-rounded education experience. “I don’t think it’s enough to practice yoga or mindfulness or wellness for the sake of ourselves,” she says. “What I always recommend is to be paying attention to who’s not in the room.” While you don’t need to go out and earn your own yoga-teaching license to encourage and propel this mindset (unless that’s what you desire), Cardoza suggests asking yourself, “Who is missing and how can you advocate for them in a really honest and authentic way?” The real lesson here? Inclusivity—and using your voice to be a change-maker within the conversation. Watch the video above to get an inside look
Want to feel more confident? Ditch your to-do list and try going outside
November 21, 2019 at 02:24PM by CWC https://content.jwplatform.com/players/xY9XI9V8-AjgxWzQ7.js Meet Wellness Collective, our immersive curriculum with Athleta that hooks you up with actionable advice from the smartest experts and brand founders in wellness right now. Get the goods at our monthly event series in New York City, plus our online one-month wellness plans. If you could share one lesson with your younger self, what would it be? We’re betting “how to be more confident” ranks up there—because TBH we could all use a little more self love even as adults. Karen Ramos is with you. She also wanted to convey confidence to younger generations, which is why she founded Get Out, Stay Out—an outdoor excursion program for indigenous migrant youth. Her method? Tapping into the power of the outdoors. While a 15-minute walk around the block or an outdoorsy weekend trip might seem like a strange secret for unlocking self worth, Ramos has found it to be a poignant tool. “Being outdoors for me, I just felt so powerful and confident, and I wanted to be able to give that opportunity as well to youth,” Ramos says. To do it, she lets the Get Out, Stay Out kids run the show. They get to decide what they want to do outside, where they want to go, and what they want to get out of it. How much more empowered would your afternoon walk feel if you applied that formula every time you stepped outside? “We believe that one of the best ways to build self confidence is by