November 27, 2019 at 11:30PM by CWC A fun fitness fact that you’ve likely realized during your workouts: One side of your body tends to be a little stronger than the other. In most cases, it’s totally normal and fine, and just means that lifting a 20-pound weight on your right might be a little easier than doing it on your left. But muscle imbalances in your glutes, which are very common, can lead to pain and even injury. In fact, the majority of people are dealing with some sort of imbalance in their behind, and it’s got nothing to do with their workout routines. “If you have a sedentary occupation—which 80 percent of people do—you can guarantee that your glutes are under active,” says Steve Stonehouse, NASM, director of education for Stride. “Along with being under active, there’s a high likelihood you have some glute imbalance as well.” This, pros caution, can lead to a slew of issues throughout your body. “You could deal with a host of injuries tied to these type of imbalances,” says Stonehouse. “The kinetic chain concept basically states that nothing works in isolation. A nagging knee injury could be more of a hip/glute issue than an actual knee issue. The same applies with the ankles or even shoulder issues.” Glute imbalances can even be causing you lower back pain, which no one wants to deal with. To find out for sure if this applies to you, Jackie Vick, NCFS, Gold’s Gym personal trainer, suggests
Day: November 27, 2019
Why not going home for the holidays and spending time with my chosen family is radical self-care
November 27, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC If your family is anything like mine, talking about politics is one thing you try to wholeheartedly avoid over a holiday dinner. Arguments will erupt, doors will be slammed, glasses of wine will be filled to the brim, and there will be hushed tones by the other family members not involved in the heated discussion. Add to this the fact that you’re queer? And, well, good luck. It’s perhaps no surprise that holidays can be a very complicated time of the year, but it seems to be especially true for us queer folks. Choosing to go home for the holidays, where our families might not understand our LGBTQ+ identities or appreciate the political issues that are often associated with them, can come with such a heaping portion of judgement and misconception that it can displace the turkey as the main course. For me, being asked a barrage of questions like, “What does ‘queer’ mean?”, “Why or how are you queer?”, or “Don’t you like men?”, was exhausting. The feelings of embarrassment and anxiety that these comments could elicit would linger for weeks after, like an emotional hangover I couldn’t escape. The emotional labor of having to cope with what they couldn’t seem to deal with was a lot. In fact, it was too much. That’s why, over the years, I have chosen to limit my exposure to my blood relatives and spend the holidays with my chosen friends and adopted family in Brooklyn.
How a dermatologist shops Black Friday beauty deals
November 27, 2019 at 10:47PM by CWC When Black Friday rolls around, it can be tempting to throw your entire paycheck at the trendy (and now discounted!) skin products you’ve been eyeing all year. But skin pros have a message for you: Please, don’t do that. Instead, board-certified dermatologist Melissa Levin, MD, wants you to take a step back and figure out what you really need in your routine, instead of buying the things Instagram has been telling you to. “People want to play around, but a full skin cycle is six weeks, so I like people to stick to a routine instead of wasting money and buying multiple products, she says. “And, I only like people to introduce one or two products at a time.” So if you do want to try something new and exciting, just be sure to stick to one “new and exciting” product and spend the rest of your Black Friday beauty dollars on trusted faves. “If you want to have an effective Black Friday from a skin-care standpoint, go for the basics instead of trendy products,” says Dr. Levin. These “basics” may not be the sexiest members of your skin-care team, but they are the ones you need to keep in stock all year round, so she suggests going all-in on things like cleanser, moisturizer, soap and deodorant. Or rather, use the deals as an excuse to get a year’s supply of the products you use every day (keeping an eye on the expiration
7 strangely satisfying ASMR apps to help you fall asleep fast
November 27, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC If your nightstand is littered with melatonin, CBD gummies, magnesium supplements, NyQuil, Benadryl, Ambien and the like, it might be time to explore the bottle-free, National Sleep Foundation-approved method of snooze aid known as autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. ASMR may sound like some sort of a fetish, and for the uninitiated searching it on YouTube for the first time, it can look like one, too. In reality, however, ASMR simply (or, maybe not so simply) describes the tingly feeling produced for some people by certain sounds. Content created for the purpose of provoking this response, which can aid in relaxation and enable sleep, can be audio, visual, or both in nature, and it tends to features what’s known as a “trigger”, or a combination of triggers, such as someone whispering softly, the soft tapping of long fingernails, the crinkling of paper, or etc. While there are hundreds of ASMR videos on YouTube, it’s not always the ideal platform for such soothing content consumption given its jarring commercial interruptions. Plus, if you fall asleep while watching, you might be rudely awakened by whatever content follows your chosen video. A number of smartphone/tablet ASMR apps solve for this issue by running video or audio clips sans advertisements and allowing you to download and save videos to your phone for offline use while also offering additional features such as the ability to create your own mix-and-match soundscapes. The best ASMR apps for getting to
Snag $100 worth of Fresh goodies for a mere $65 at Sephora’s mega-sale
November 27, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is the stuff of beauty legends. No, seriously: half our editors wash their face with it because it’s that good. Today, as part of Sephora skin-care sale, you can purchase the Fresh Evergreen Routine Gift Set and snag the fan-favorite cleanser—and four other Fresh goodies—for the low, low price of $65. (That’s $35 less than it’s worth, everyone!) In case you didn’t get the beauty sale 411, everything at Sephora is up to 50 percent off today (deals will change throughout “cyber week”). While there’s plenty of beauty steals worth emptying your wallet for, the kit has everything a skin-care fanatic could ever desire. Namely, the aforementioned cleanser (“It makes washing your face feel like a treat,” said one editor), a rose face mask, a moisturizer, an eye cream, and—my personal favorite—the sugar lip treatment. Photo: Fresh The haul encompasses a full collection of products (friendly to all skin types, I might add). And the set’s reviewers seem pleased. “The youth preserve moisturizer is thicker than most ones I’ve tried and feels thick going on, but also absorbs after a couple of minutes,” wrote one. “Love Fresh products and usually get the sets because they have everything you need to hydrate your skin, especially in Northern winters,” writes reviewer “Mac29.” Mac29’s really onto something: Buying a set is a priceless—alright, a low-price—opportunity to take a beginner’s approach to skin care. To try new things and maybe (just maybe) find a new favorite
This is the best time to eat your Thanksgiving meal, according to a dietitian
November 27, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC A lot of debating goes down on Thanksgiving day: Should everyone watch football or the Macy’s Day Parade? Is light or dark turkey meat healthier? What outerwear works best for the Turkey Trot? But without a doubt the biggest question that comes up in most households is about what time dinner should be on the table. Some families have Thanksgiving as a lunchtime meal in the middle of the day. After all the dishes are done, you can go for a nice outdoor walk or play a family game of football; a little activity helps all that food digest. Others scratch their heads, wondering how getting all the cooking done that early is even possible and are lucky if they have it all on the table by 7 p.m. Besides, their side of the debate goes, turkey helps you sleep. To help settle the debate on what time of day it’s really best to have the Thanksgiving meal—as far as digestion goes, at least—I reached out to registered dietitian and The Full Helping blogger Gena Hamshaw, RD. “There’s no ‘official’ verdict on the best time to eat your Thanksgiving meal,” she says. “It often depends on family traditions, which is fine: food should be a source of pleasure and an opportunity to connect.” Okay, okay, but if you had to pick, I pressed. “From a digestive standpoint, it’s helpful to be upright for at least two to three hours after eating and before
These sex toys are on sale for Black Friday, in case you’re in a *really* giving spirit
November 27, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC As a bright-eyed, dollfaced child, I experienced no greater joy than waking up on Christmas morning, and finally being allowed to unwrap presents under the tree. As a grown woman, same vibe, especially if what I come to find is a literal vibe. No matter the holidays you celebrate, it’s always lovely to gift yourself an orgasm. With that in mind, it’s key to be aware of the best sex toy sales happening over Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and/or those surrounding days when retailers seem to have a “f–k it” ethos of and slash their prices just because. This year, it turns out, there are many sex toy sales worthy of your attention—for yourself and the share with your loved ones. That may include your partner who wants to try something new, your sexually frustrated and recently single best friend, a particularly liberated Grandma or really anyone hankering to have an orgasmic transition into 2020. Below, find 9 great Black Friday sex toy sales so your holiday vibe can be orgasmic. Photo: LELO 1. LELO Ina Wave, $155 Your eyes are not deceiving you—LELO’s rabbit-y Ina Wave vibrator is all about upward, come hither motions that may result in the powerful and much-sought-after blended orgasm. The brand is offering between 20 and 50 percent off select vibrators, such as the SONA Cruise, SORAYA, ORA 2, TOR 2, and HUGO. Sale length: November 28 through December 4 2. Womanizer Premium, $160 Just in time
How to read your own tarot cards, no memorization necessary
November 27, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC I’m a big fan of learning about any and all woo-woo tools (sage, crystals, pendulums—you name it), and tarot cards definitely fall into that category. But when I first discovered them, I found them to be intimidating and overwhelming: There are 78 cards in a deck and each offers different meanings, and endless card combinations. Heck, even just shuffling the tarot cards can be tricky. And what if the scary-sounding death card comes up? So. Many. Questions. Early on in my tarot adventures, I learned that though a lot of value and wisdom can be gleaned from the traditional meanings of the cards, memorizing each isn’t a requirement. Rather, the key for knowing how to read tarot cards rests with your intuition. And this makes sense considering that they’re tools for receiving and interpreting messages from our inner selves or the universe. So below, get readers’ top tips for learning how to read tarot cards for yourself intuitively, sans memorization. The key rules for reading tarot cards without memorizing the meanings Infuse the cards with your energy Before you start pulling cards, spend some time with your tarot deck to infuse it with your energy. Kristine Fredheim, founder of Soul Cards, recommends giving them a good shuffle while thinking or saying your name and birth date. And to get super-intimate with your cards, you can also consider sleeping with them under your pillow. Study the journey of the cards While it’s certainly possible
‘I’m a gastroenterologist and this is the gut friendly meal I recommend to all my patients’
November 27, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC As a gastroenterologist, Will Bulsiewicz, MD, sees patients with gut health issues that run the gamut, ranging from people who find themselves heading to the restroom not enough—or the opposite, way too often. Despite the wide range of probs, his solution almost always comes back to one major nutrient: fiber. In fact, Dr. Bulsiewicz preaches the importance of fiber so often to his patients that he’s writing a book on it, Fiber Fueled, so even more people can get schooled on its role. “We know that our gut microbes absolutely thrive when they are fed prebiotic fiber from real food,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. “The fiber passes through the intestine, unsullied, before it reaches the colon. This sets the healthy microbes into a feeding frenzy. They feast on this delicious meal, and then reward you by releasing what I consider to be the ultimate currency of gut health: short chain fatty acids.” Dr. Bulsiewicz says these short-chain fatty acids can help combat leaky gut, strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol, prevent diabetes, and protect against colon cancer. (So yeah, they’re a pretty big deal.) “They even travel as far as your brain to have their health effects,” he says. “And the only way to get them is when fiber meets healthy microbes in your colon and magic ensues.” Having this handy knowledge is one thing, but putting it into practice is a whole other. That’s why I asked Dr. Bulsiewicz for the meal idea
The top 10 Black Friday deals Well+Good’s staff is psyched to ‘add to cart’
November 27, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC It’s time to grab your wallet and kiss your last paycheck goodbye: we’re just days away from Black Friday. This year, the Well+Good staff had many wellness items on their wishlists—and many of them will go on sale in a mere 48 hours if they aren’t already. From cozy sweatsuits to oh-so-soft duvet covers to life-changing kitchen accessories, here are the 2019 Black Friday deals that have us saying “Take all my money!” The 2019 Black Friday deals not to miss this year Photo: Nordstrom 1. Superga “Cotu” Sneaker, $51 (originally $65) “As Kate Middleton has proved over and over, these chic white sneakers go with anything, from jeans to midi skirts. They’re my spring and summer wardrobe staple—and you can’t argue with that price. —Jessie Van Amburg, senior health and food editor Photo: Yummie 2. Yummie Slub Knit Midi Robe, $43 (originally $62) “This robe is the best thing I’ve ever put on my body.” —Zoe Weiner, Associate Beauty and Fitness Editor Photo: Brooklinen 3. Brooklinen Classic Core Sheet Set, $79 (originally $99) “Every year or so I treat myself to new sheets (and sometimes a new duvet). The Brooklinen core ones are my absolute favorite, and I love the way they feel. Add the duvet cover and shams (I like the stripes!) and tell me your life hasn’t just gotten an upgrade. Go ahead, tell me. (You can’t.)” —Samantha Leal, Managing Editor Photo: Andie 4. The Catalina Swimsuit, $29 (originally $95)