November 23, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Even though France tends to get all the credit for micellar water—aka the one beauty product that every single person in the universe loves—we’ve had some innovations with the cleanser stateside, too. Case in point? The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water ($7). In fact, one bottle of this cleanser is sold every four seconds. It’s literally the number one-selling micellar water in the U.S., despite the fact that we can totally buy French-fave micellar cleansers here now too (like Bioderma or Caudalie). Why is it so incredibly good? Well, Garnier’s micellar wash has all of those lovable qualities that we know and continually turn to micellar cleansers for: It’s gentle, has zero harsh detergents, removes makeup like a pro, and cleanses your skin without drying it out. Oh, and you can get it at your local drugstore for less than the cost of lunch. Photo: Garnier “Micellar water is a super gentle method of cleansing skin,” board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, previously told W+G. “It gets its name because it contains micelles which are oil-in-water suspensions that attract dirt, bacteria, and makeup, but gently—without stripping moisturize from your skin.” And, because Garnier’s micellar cleanser so light on ingredients and filled with hydration, even the most sensitive of skin types can use it without irritation. On Ulta’s website, this cleanser has racked up over 800 five-star reviews, while 73 percent of customers on Amazon rated it as five-star. The proof’s in the pudding, which, in this
Day: November 23, 2019
Enjoy this cornucopia of gluten-free stuffing recipes for your Thanksgiving spread
November 23, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC As iconic as turkey is to the Thanksgiving spread, everyone knows the side dishes are really the stars—and stuffing is often the dish people get excited about the most. (Sorry, green bean casserole.) Traditionally, stuffing is bread-based, which is a major bummer to GF eaters. But cubing loaves of bread certainly isn’t the only way to make the classic holiday dish, and dare I say, it’s not even the tastiest. Don’t believe me? Check out these seven unique, gluten-free takes on Thanksgiving stuffing, which both traditionalists and GF eaters will enjoy. Many even check other boxes, such as being Paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, or dairy-free. So no matter what the dietary needs are for your Turkey Day meal, you’re sure to find a recipe that will have everyone around the table reaching for seconds. Keep reading for 7 gluten-free stuffing recipes. Photo: Lexi’s Clean Kitchen 1. Gluten-free bread-based stuffing If you’re set on making bread-based stuffing but are looking for a gluten-free way to do it, the most straight-forward trick is using a loaf of GF bread to cube, as this recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen does. It calls for the same ingredients you’ll find in traditional stuffing recipes too, such as thyme, carrots, mushrooms, and celery. Photo: Ambitious Kitchen 2. Gluten-free cornbread stuffing If you’re from the South, chances are you already use cornbread as a base for your Thanksgiving stuffing. This recipe shows how to whip the cornbread up the GF way
The to-do list loophole that lets you feel great about not finishing every single thing
November 23, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC I’m a big believer in the power of crossing things out, and many of the items do make the journey from “to-do” to “to-done.” But nearly never do all my daily tasks get completed by the end of the day, no matter how late I allow my end-of-day marker to stretch until. Though I’ve grown used to living with the omnipresence of tasks to be completed getting carried over to the next day (and next day, and next day), I do harbor some shame about what feels like follow-through failure. But, according to Arianna Huffington, I should cut myself a break. In a recent piece for The New York Times, Huffington shared her favorite micro-steps that can lead to big change and increased productivity. My favorite of the bunch? Allowing yourself to declare an end to the day, even if you don’t cross out each to-do list item. “Effectively prioritizing means being comfortable with incompletions,” she writes. “Once you’ve handled the day’s essential priorities, recognize that in any interesting job it’s almost impossible to do all you could have done in any one day.” “As humans, we hit a plateau after a certain amount of time working, when returns for the time and effort we’re putting in starts dwindling.” —business coach Kimberly Lucht Furthermore, implementing time limit for completing that to-do list provides us the opportunity to finish tasks more artfully. After all, your brain can only handle so much at a given
What to know about working out after having a baby, according to a pelvic floor specialist
November 23, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC When you’re pregnant, your body goes through a lot of changes (cue the resounding, no duh): Your center of gravity changes, your abdominal muscles stretch (and, in the case of a C-section, are cut and repaired), and your pelvic floor goes through nine months of pressure thanks to a baby sitting on top of them. Cue a little bit of pee dripping out when you do jumping jack, or not being able to contract your core into a crunch. These symptoms can make it a real challenge to go back to exercising after a baby (as if you don’t have enough to think about with the whole “keeping a tiny human alive” thing). Most women assume that all of this is something they need to suck up and deal with for the sake of motherhood, but that’s actually not the case. While these things are normal for the first six to 12 weeks—considering, ya know, your body brought a human into the world—there are certain things you can do to build strength in your pelvic floor post-birth that can help make working out after that point much less terrible, especially if these symptoms are continuing for longer. Here, physical therapist and pelvic floor pro Staci Levine, DPT shares her tips for how to get your pelvic floor primed and ready to get back to the gym. And remember: It took your body nine months to grow a tiny human, so cut yourself a
I professionally stretch people for a living—and this is the best stretch in my arsenal
November 23, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC A good stretching session makes everything better—you know this. But some days you simply don’t have time to follow along a YouTube video or list of feel-good exercises. Sometimes all you need to do is set aside a few minutes for just one stretch—and who better to cue you in on the most beneficial move than someone who professionally stretches people for a living? When you visit Racked Stretch in New York City, you can have a pro stretch you out based on your needs and problem areas. Even with the countless moves the stretching pros have in their arsenal, the Closed Figure 4 hip stretch is the one that always gets overwhelmingly positive feedback from clients. “The number one stretch that’s been beneficial to every client I’ve seen are our hip stretches. We have a few different variations, but the Closed Figure-4 is definitely number one,” says Hayley Lubow, Racker and training leader at Racked Stretch. “It involves the entity of the hip area—including the joints and muscles—and even starts to get into the connected muscle groups like the hamstrings. Basically, you get a lot of bang for your buck.” I can attest that the Closed Figure-4 stretch feels ah-mazing, but it does so much more than I realized. “Most of our clients sit at a desk for work, and that crunching of the hips for eight or more hours a day can have devastating results on your posture,” Lubow says. When you have
Use this 3-step breakfast formula to prevent a blood sugar spike
November 23, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC If you can’t seem to figure out why you’re experiencing sudden energy crashes, it your sugary breakfast could be to blame. “When you have blood sugar dysregulation, you’re potentially having energy crashes in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon,” said Nicole Jardin, certified women’s health and functional nutrition coach, at the most recent Well+Good TALK. “You might also have trouble falling or staying asleep at night—especially if your blood sugar or insulin are higher at night.” And the reason why? Sugary foods—including simple carbohydrates (think white bread and pastries), some yogurts, and breakfast cereals—cause your blood sugar to spike then quickly drop, which can affect your mood and energy levels and even increase anxiety. To keep everything stable, Jardin recommends sticking to a three-part breakfast formula that contains everything your body needs to prevent a spike from occurring. “I’m a big fan of having a breakfast that has some kind of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates in the morning,” she says. “That tends to work well for people—especially if there’s blood sugar imbalance.” There are many different ways to get that protein, fat, and complex carb combo. You can do a breakfast bowl, avocado toast, oats with fruits and nuts, a scramble with veggies, or a healthy breakfast wrap. As long as you’re reaching for body-bettering ingredients—and ditching the added sugar and white carbs—you should avoid a blood sugar spike, and the crash that follows. Here’s how to eat for energy: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adF3tbP2wC4] You can
The 1 crystal you need for each and every phase of dating and relationships
November 23, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC There are many things in life that may change depending on your relationship status. To name just a few, consider your underwear choices, your most-used emojis, and your default Friday-night plans. But as it turns out, there’s also an argument for switching up your go-to crystals for relationships and love manifestation depending on what stage of a romantic relationship you’re currently in (or seeking). That’s right, your trusty rose-quartz point isn’t necessarily the best crystal companion for every relationship milestone. But there’s sure to be a stone out there to help you get what you need, from the first date to the 500th. “Love can be complicated,” says Heather Askinosie, co-founder of Energy Muse and author of the new book Crystal365: Crystals for Everyday Life and Your Guide to Health, Wealth, and Balance. “Whatever stage you’re in during a relationship—beginning, end, or somewhere in-between—crystals can help you go deeper within the layers of yourself. They help you take time to reflect upon your past so you can let go of anything holding you back from the love you want and deserve.” Crystals for relationships and love can also serve as a reminder of what you want from your future, Askinosie adds. “Once you set your mind to what you want, you can program your crystal for your specific intention. Your crystal then acts as a tool to remember your goal. [You can then] set yourself up for success in love and relationships by
Let’s test this theory once and for all: Is acid the best deodorant?
November 23, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Trying out a new deodorant is a risky business. Either you’ll fly under the radar or you’ll make sure no one get within an arms-length of your body odor. Acid, one deodorant alternative, has inspired heated debates. So we asked dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, to finally give us the cold, hard truth about its efficacy. In case you’re new to this whole “acid as deodorant” thing, here’s a primer from Dr. Zeichner: “The goal of deodorants is to minimize odor on the skin. They work by either masking the smell or lowering levels of odor-causing bacteria under the arms. Acids likely help by lowering the skin’s pH, creating an environment not hospitable for bacteria to grow,” he says. In theory, the pH-lowering quality of acids means that you can use skin-care acids, like facial toner, beneath your arms in place of deodorant. However, there are a few caveats. “It’s unclear whether [acids] are any more effective than traditional natural deodorants,” says Dr. Zeichner. Since no research has yet been conducted on the virtues of natural deodorant versus acids, it’s mostly up to you to test—then decide—what’s right for your pits. “So long as your skin is not sensitive, you can try [putting] your facial toner under the arms,” says Dr. Zeichner. But if you recently shaved or have chafing under your arms, skip the acids entirely. If you do find that an acid deodorant alternative keeps you smelling fresh as a daisy, you’re
Your guide to navigating the great wide world of fertility startups
November 23, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC In August of this year, The Economist proclaimed in a headline, “The fertility business is booming,” and indeed, the statistics cited in the accompanying article support this proclamation. Today, the industry brings in $25 billion in sales, for example, and this number is projected to nearly double to $41 billion by 2026. Meanwhile, investors poured $624 million dollars into fertility businesses in 2018, up from under $200 million less than a decade ago. Baby-making, from IVF to egg freezing to fertility testing and way, way beyond is indeed big business. David Sable, MD, a former fertility doctor who now runs the Special Situations Life Sciences Fund, which invests in fertility-centric businesses, says that currently, assisted reproduction is the most underutilized area of health care in the U.S. economy. But that’s set to change, thanks in part to an explosion of startups as well as employers and states aiming to expand insurance coverage of these pricey services. (For reference, one round of IVF costs at least $12,000, and often is higher thanks to separate medication costs). He predicts that thanks to these changes, an additional 1.129 million Americans per year will be able to access fertility treatments. Plus, adds Norbert Gleicher, MD, medical director and chief scientist at the Center for Human Reproduction, demographic shifts are going to increase demand as well. “Patient populations are aging and women are having fewer and fewer children and so as a consequence, there are more and more
This jacket blocks your cell service so you can truly unplug when you’re outdoors
November 23, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC It can feel impossible to truly unplug these days without sending yourself to some far-flung destination selling restricted WiFi as a luxury. The internet is in your pocket until the day you die. Unless… Enter a new offering from The Arrivals called the AER Puffer, which is not only aesthetically enviable but also endowed with a surprising functionality: one of its pockets blocks all cellular, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID and NFC, EMR, EMF and radiation signals. If you’re wondering, “but why,” think about, say, a hike (aka a sometimes-uphill walk). You want to lose yourself in thought and appreciation for the majesty of nature (while it lasts!), but you also don’t want to be SOL if you get lost, break an ankle, or get attacked by a mountain lion. In other words, you can’t leave your phone in the car, but you also don’t really want to die on—of all things—a hike. The puffer marries form with function in other ways, too. It’s water- and wind-repellent, has a removable suspender system, and can protect you when temperatures plummet below 30 degrees. (At that point, I feel like not wanting to freeze off your fingers is reason enough to keep your phone tucked away, but maybe that’s just me.) It’s also R.D.S. (Responsible Down Standard) certified, which means the goose down sourced for the jacket was done so humanely. This holiday wishlist no-brainer comes in four colorways—navy, black, army green, and a sort of