November 28, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC In the age of technology, you’re texting, scrolling, tapping at your mouse or touch pad, and typing on your keyboard all day—contorting your hands into weird positions. Whether or not you’re feeling the pain now, it could lead to worse problems down the road without a few hand and finger stretches. “Cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktops… all of the many devices at our literal fingertips are definitely predisposing young people to an increased risk for overuse or ‘repetitive strain’ injuries and future arthritis,” says Danielle Weis, PT, physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist at Spring Forward Physical Therapy. “To name a few: carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, trigger finger or trigger thumb, arthritic joints, and various other muscle strains and ligament sprains in the fingers, hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.” It sounds scary, but it makes sense. “Just think about how many jobs require the use of a computer throughout the day. Add to that the many hours accumulated on cell phones and devices for personal use,” she says. “The amount of time spent with the hands and wrists in angled, arched, or curled positions create a perfect storm for pain and overuse injuries.” The good news is, despite putting your hands and fingers through so much every day, Dr. Weis says adding certain hand, finger, and forearm stretches into your daily routine can help prevent and fight off carpal tunnel and other overuse issues. “When you adopt certain postures and use
Month: November 2019
Your breakdown of the 7 unique chakra colors and meanings
November 28, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Regardless of whether you fancy yourself a total spiritual phenom or you don’t feel like you have a single woo-woo-leaning cell in your body, you’ve likely at least heard about chakras. But, are you clear on the ins and outs of chakra colors and meanings? Just in case, here’s a little recap: Chakras are energy centers in the body that, as chef, nutritionist, and reiki master Serena Poon puts it, link our energetic and physical bodies with universal life-force energy. “Each chakra vibrates or spins at a particular frequency that impacts specific biological processes and organ systems in our body,” she says. “The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.” In other words, if one of your seven chakras is out of whack or blocked, you may feel effects of that in other areas of your life, as well. “The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.” —reiki master Serena Poon There are seven total chakras that run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, and each has a specific meaning and is associated with a specific color. The colors, you’ll notice, follow the same pattern as a rainbow. Below, several pros break down the different chakra colors and meanings, so you can understand
Why you should be eating oatmeal first thing in the morning, according to two dietitians
November 28, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Like the holiday movie Home Alone, oatmeal is a classic. Dietitians don’t go a day without recommending the warm breakfast to their clients, and it’s what they prefer to eat first thing, too. When it comes to a breakfast for energy, the one-ingredient dish is basically in a league of its own. Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, registered dietitian and author of The Better Period Food Solution, says she likes her oatmeal with pumpkin seeds, sliced banana, and a drizzle of almond butter. “This breakfast bowl is the definition of lasting power because it’s overflowing with superstar ingredients,” she says. “Oats contain a unique form of soluble fiber known as beta-glucan which helps you stay satiated for hours. Bananas sprinkle the body with energizing vitamin B6, and if you couple that with healthy fats coming from pumpkin seeds and nut butter, you’ll be good to go for hours.” Malina Malkani, RDN, a dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, opts for a nearly identical bowl of oatmeal. Only, she just skips the pumpkin seeds and chooses peanut butter over almond. “Combining protein, fiber, and fat helps provide longer-lasting energy and satiety as well as more stable blood sugar and mood levels,” she says, “which are extra-important during family gatherings when tensions can run high.” Retweet. Of course, if you’re not a fan of oatmeal (um, who are you?), you can whip up a breakfast that’s equally balanced with protein, fiber, and fat. Malkani says sprouted
The best deals our beauty editor will be scoring this Black Friday
November 28, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC While we all well know you don’t have to drop a whole lot of coin for beauty products that work (case in point: a dermatologist’s go-to cleanser literally costs $1), we’ve all got those pricey picks we just can’t resist. For me, it’s a $38 face wash that makes me feel like I’m getting a pro-grade facial every time I lather it on, and a $160 bottle of vitamin C serum that I simply can’t imagine living without. Thankfully, for those of us whose list of vices include “expensive beauty products,” there are plenty of Black Friday beauty sales that have us covered. Per usual, beauty meccas like Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta will be offering day-after-Thanksgiving discount deals on some of the best products they’ve got to offer—including hair care, skin care, and makeup. There ‘s everything from classics to cult faves to new launches… and then some. Whether you’re lookin to re-stock on your trusty go-to’s, add something totally new to your arsenal, or treat someone on your gifting list to some beauty newness, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find it at one of these shops. Scroll through for some of the best of the best from this year’s offerings, and get ready for your most beautiful(…ly priced) holiday season yet. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, $10 ($20 Value) Turn washing your face into a luxury experience—for only $10—with this OG cleansing fave. It’s made with apricot and avocado oils, plus squalene, to help nourish
Uranus retrograde is why you’ve been feeling out of your comfort zone for months
November 28, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Of all the planetary retrogrades, Mercury retrograde gets most of our attention (and ire), but it’s certainly not the only one worthy of it. “When a planet goes retrograde, it appears to be moving backward from our vantage point on Earth,” says Rachel Lang, intuitive astrologer and healer. “It’s similar to the phenomenon when you’re driving forward next to a car going at the same relative speed, and that car appears like it’s moving backward. It’s an optical illusion.” To that point, all retrogrades pack an active punch, and when you know what they affect, you can better anticipate and explain the cosmic shifts. So, let’s turn our focus to Uranus retrograde 2019, which has been happening since August 11, and isn’t scheduled to go direct until January 10, 2020. This retrograde is in Taurus, a practical Earth sign with a romantic streak (Taurus is ruled by Venus, after all). And if you’ve been feeling a little out of your comfort zone lately, the Uranus retrograde might be to thank. “Uranus is the planet of freedom, progress, and change. When you think of Uranus, think of electricity; its nature can be erratic, and the energy of Uranus needs to be focused and grounded. Uranus is somewhat of a rebel planet. It wants you to go against the grain, to march to the beat of your own drum,” Lang says. “If you feel stuck in any area of your life, or if you’ve been
How losing my dad fundamentally changed how I celebrate Thanksgiving
November 28, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC My dad would only eat cranberry sauce if it was in the shape of a can. Every year on Thanksgiving, my mom worked for hours over the meal—which always included homemade cranberry sauce, with actual whole cranberries in it—but the last thing she did before we sat down to eat was plop a can of Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce onto one of her china plates. She hated it, but he insisted. Our Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t involve can-shaped cranberry sauce anymore. My dad died in 2016, taking the tradition with him, along with our annual ritual of watching the entire Macy’s Day Parade as a family and starting the meal with the words, “rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub.” In the years since his death, I’ve become a Thanksgiving Grinch. What used to hold the award for my favorite holiday has become one that I dread. I spend weeks thinking about the empty seat at the table (a new table, since the one we sat at every Thanksgiving for 20 years got sold along with the house I grew up in after my dad died), and the gaping hole in our family that it represents. I wish I could just sleep through the fourth Thursday of every November every year for the rest of my life, because it seems impossible to feel joyful and thankful on a day when his loss feels especially profound. According to Alison Stone, LCSW, grief on Thanksgiving is a
Work every muscle in your body by perfecting the kettlebell swing
November 28, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSESeQAir2M] Kettlebell swings are one of those fitness moves that may look easy, but doing them properly is actually anything but a piece of cake. Because of how simple they seem, the form is easy to mess up, and when you’re doing it wrong you’re not getting the most out of the move. So we tapped trainer Roxie Jones to show us how to do a kettlebell swing the right way. According to Jones, there are a few things that pretty much everyone messes up when it comes to kettlebell swings that cause them to miss out on the move’s full-body benefits, but thankfully they’re easy to spot. For example, rounding your back when you pick up the weight is a tell-tale sign that your core isn’t properly engaged. Similarly, resisting the momentum that carries your hips back (and keeps them still) means that you’re not utilizing your full power or range of motion. But the worst offense, says Jones, is bending your knees too far, which turns the move into a jumping squat instead of a swing. Getting your form right starts before you even touch the kettlebell. Begin in a deadlift position with the kettlebell right between your ankle bones, and lift it like you’re “trying to break the handle in half,” says Jones. Start with a small momentum to get the movement going and focus on pushing your hips back, letting the kettlebell carry you. Engage your glutes and
Here’s the secret for making your moisturizer work 3 (very!) different ways, according to a product formulator
November 28, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC The moisturizing step has always seemed like the simplest one in a skin-care routine. You slather on a moisturizer, let it do its job and… that’s it. Et voila, you’re moisturized. But according to a cosmetic chemist, when you put it on actually makes a world of difference in what it does for your skin. We all know that a moisturizer’s purpose is to help hydrate and protect your skin thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, but its placement alongside your other products can change up exactly what kind of hydrating and protecting that it’s doing. So it’s worth it to figure out just what, exactly, your skin needs from a moisturizer before you go about with your routine. Here, cosmetic chemist Lalita Vedantam explains how to use moisturizer in three totally different ways… each of which your skin will slurp right up. If you’re feeling extra dehydrated: You’ve likely heard dermatologists touting the benefits of slathering on a moisturizer after you shower for extra-hydrated skin, and the same principle applies to your face. Applying a moisturizer to clean, damp skin—without any serums or actives in between your cleansing and moisturizing steps—helps to prevent transepidermal water loss. “Using a moisturizer right after cleansed and damp skin quickly seals in water that otherwise may have evaporated from your skin,” says Vedantam. All skin types will benefit from moisturizing on top of wet skin, especially during the winter months when cold-compromised skin barriers lose water
5 exercises that’ll fix a glute imbalance and nix that lower back pain
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
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.