November 05, 2019 at 12:30AM by CWC I was at the world’s most exquisite drugstore with my coworker when she audibly gasped. We live in New York City, so even in this palace of a drugstore I thought, “Oh no, a cockroach,” but I wrong. It was two, count ’em, two tubes of Bioderma Atoderm Nourishing and Repairing Lip Balm ($10), one of which she handed over to me without hesitation. “These are rare,” she said. A few days later, I understood why. At this temperature-dropping time of the year, my lips get more or less brutalized. You’re probably familiar with how those dry winter winds can give you chapped, painful lips that drive you absolutely crazy. Or how a long common cold can leave you with an absolutely shredded mouth. But I have an extra streak of masochism; colder weather means delving into berry colored matte lips, which are by the way not super kind to your mouth. If you’re not acquainted with Bioderma yet, it’s lauded for its skin-care products, particularly it’s Sensiobio H20 Micellar Water ($14). But believe when I say it’s a hidden gem. The formal concoction is made up of All The Good Things, like shea butter, avocado oil, and vitamin E, the reparative wonder that’ll condition what’s flaking and help promote new growth. Incidentally, I did sit on this lip balm (not literally, don’t be weird) for two days, having an event or two that required me to wear some classic red lipstick. I woke up
Month: November 2019
The easiest trick to bring your wilted salad greens back to life
November 05, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Everyone always complains about how quickly avocados go from toast-worthy ripe to completely rotten. One thing that seems to have an even shorter lifespan, though, is salad greens. Whether you buy them by the bunch or pre-washed in a bag, sometimes you’ve only got a good 24 to 48 hours before they wilt right before your eyes. But with a quickie hack, you can take them from super sad to bright and crisp again in a flash. Food waste is a huge problem, and it’s infuriating to have to throw out unused produce. The solution? Something as simple as drawing your salad greens an ice-cold bath. It’s true. Submerging leafy vegetables in a big bowl of ice water for 20 minutes to an hour can most definitely bring back them back to life. According to Jadie Aranda, the biologist behind Eat My Science, wilted (or even browning!) greens haven’t “gone bad.” Your greens are only bad if they’re slimy, which indicates the presence of bacteria or fungus. If they’re green yet wilted, salad greens probably just need a little water to be revived. “Greens get soft and limp because they lose water. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water, with iceberg lettuce at 96 percent water. In the fridge, lettuce and other greens lose water to the air, the cells that hold the water shrink, and the outward appearance is wilted and limp,” she writes on her blog. “Soaking your greens in water will
My long hair helped me feel strong against Lyme disease—here’s why I cut it
November 04, 2019 at 11:30PM by CWC I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and babesiosis (a parasite-spread disease similar to malaria) in 2017 after years of weathering mysterious symptoms. The conditions compromised my mobility, cognition, digestion, and overall ability to function, and the many medications I took also took their toll on my physical strength and sense of personal freedom. But, one feature of mine helped me feel strong and normal and myself throughout the anguish of illness: my long hair. Two years prior to diagnosis, when I was feeling unwell and had no idea why, I decided to stop cutting my hair. I felt weak and out of control, and subconsciously believed that if I could muster the patience to nurture long, healthy hair, I could somehow channel that strength to heal the rest of my body. But as my hair grew longer, stronger, and freer, my body grew thinner and weaker. Upon finally receiving an accurate diagnosis and embarking on a treatment plan, I expected to get better quickly. Unfortunately, as is the case with many chronic illnesses, the road to restored health is hardly a straight path. Treatment made me feel sicker. The Lyme and babesiosis traveled to different parts of my body, infecting various systems, and the dead microbes left inflammatory toxins in their wake. I felt like my body was imprisoning my life. Through it all, my hair still gave me hope. It just kept growing and transformed into a symbol of youth and beauty—two
Scientists Find A Link Between The Lymphatic System & Hair Regrowth
November 04, 2019 at 11:15PM Just another area that the lymphatic system has a role to play in. Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
This 5-minute beginner dance cardio routine works your full body and is so. much. fun.
November 04, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFu_jqhOT3w] Welcome to Trainer of the Month Club, a fitness series where we tap the coolest, most in-the-know fitness leaders to create a month-long fitness challenge. On Mondays, we have our “sweat drops” where you’ll get access to the week’s workout that you can follow along at home. This week, AK! Fitness Founder Amanda Kloots leads us through heart-pumping dance sequences. As Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang (ILYSM) once taught us, dancing it out it out is one of the best possible forms of self-care. It is literally impossible to be in a bad mood after a few minutes of bouncing around to “Where Does the Good Go.” I personally once spent a month going to non-stop dance cardio classes, and am convinced it made me a happier human being—not to mention the fact that I was in tip-top physical shape at the end of it all. There are a seemingly endless number of benefits to sweating it out by way of dance cardio: It improves brain function, it helps you feel more connected to other people in the room, it elevates your mood, and it gives your full body a serious workout. But reaping the (science-backed!) benefits of dance cardio doesn’t have to mean twerking in a studio. Thanks to our November Trainer of the Month, AK! Fitness Founder Amanda Kloots, you can dance it out in your living room to whatever song—and, bonus, in whatever outfit—you like. Personally, I’m going
New Study Finds Deep Sleep Washes Your Brain & May Prevent Alzheimer’s
November 04, 2019 at 10:03PM It’s time to get some shut-eye. Continue Reading… Author Jamie Schneider | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The Ordinary is having skin-care sale that’s so affordable the product prices look like typos
November 04, 2019 at 08:30PM by CWC If you add up the cost of all the products in your skin-care #shelfie, you’d probably faint. That’s why when Deciem released it’s now cult-fave line The Ordinary—which offers products formulated with high-quality, luxury ingredients at a fraction of the price—everyone went wild. And now you can get an even better deal on everything on your wish list. Deciem believes that hyper-consumerism hurts the planet, and that flash sales don’t do customers any good because they lead to “rushed purchasing decisions, driven by the fear of a sell-out.” So rather than participating in Black Friday on November 29, the company’s website and retail stores shut down for the day. Instead, you’ll find an automatic 23-percent discount (no coupon code needed!) applied to every product until November 30 at 11:59pm ET. “We strongly believe that skincare decisions should be based on education rather than impulse, and hope that a month-long promotion will provide the time for research, reflection, and consideration,” the company wrote on Instagram. While The Ordinary’s products are already affordable, the sale prices look like straight-up typos. But we promise they’re not. Here are 8 must-have products that are worth every cent. 8 products to snap up at The Ordinary’s skin-care sale 1. Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, $7 This toner uses glycolic acid to exfoliate the skin and a Tasmanian pepperberry derivative to help reduce irritation. 2. Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, $4 In need of a little
You can make a million cheap, healthy meals with these 11 pantry staples
November 04, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC There are about a million things I’d rather do than go grocery shopping. It’s a hassle (ask me how long I waited in line last week at Trader Joe’s!) and it can quickly get expensive, especially if you’re trying to prioritize buying organic or sustainable foods. Food waste is also a big part of your standard bad grocery experience. Fresh food goes bad so quickly (looking at you, pre-packaged spinach) that it’s hard to guarantee you’re getting the most bang for your buck by using your entire grocery cart haul on time. That’s why keeping pantry staples—which have longer shelf lives and don’t require refrigeration—in your home can be so useful. Most are inexpensive and can be used in so many different, delicious ways for quick, easy meals when you’re pinched for time or are unsure what to make. This sounds like a fast-track way to eat like you’re living in a bunker—but working creatively with non-perishable staples can be super delicious if you know how to do it right. For help, we asked dietitian Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD, to help us come up with five different healthy, easy pantry meals that can be made primarily with 11 key staples everyone should have in their kitchen. (With a little help from some refrigerated ingredients like cheese, greens, and avocado.) That means you can have dinners ready from Monday to Friday night after work, all with just a few simple, cheap ingredients waiting for
Crisscross your downward dog for a hip stretch that ‘feels like heaven’
November 04, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Get comfortable in downward dog and you’ve found the baseline for your yoga practice. The pose strengthens your shoulders, stretches your hamstrings, and melts away lower back tension. That’s not all it can do, though. Just cross one leg in front of the other and your downward dog position transforms into a hip stretch. “When you cross the legs in down dog or forward fold, you’re releasing the muscles that overcompensate and cause friction in the iliotibial (IT) band,” says Lindsay Pirozzi of New York City’s Y7 studio. The simple act of criss-crossing targets the tensor fasciae latae (TFL), a muscle that wraps around your front hip. “When we stretch our TFL, it feels like heaven for the tendon-like structure and thick fascia of the IT band.” Did you hear that? She said “like heaven.” How to turn your downward dog position into a heavenly hip stretch [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw2B2n57D68] You can also perform the crisscross position in a standing forward fold. To move into the hip stretch, start in a normal downward dog with your knees slightly bent, triceps spinning inward, and shoulders engaged. Walk your right foot over to your left, then cross the left over it so your legs are forming an “X”. If you feel open, slowly push your left foot toward the floor. Hold for three breaths and switch sides. Now for a full flow: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oU9Ob_1t7w] If you’re new to yoga, here’s how to find which type fits your personality.
Venting can be super healthy until 1 common pitfall gets in the way
November 04, 2019 at 06:02PM by CWC Is there anything more gratifying than leaning into a novelesque text-message venting session? Based on my own inbox and tendency to complain, the answer is probably not. But as much as we get a feel-good release when we’re grumpy with our boss, feel gossipy about your cousin’s bridal behavior, or completely over a friend’s relationship drama, venting has a major snag when it comes to getting things done. That is, there’s a strict time limit when you should stop complaining and start thinking. Let’s talk about what happens when we go on a long, unhinged, “Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s” type of rant. You’re complaining to your co-worker about how your supervisor asked you to stay late the other day. You’re going on about how they probably hate you and they’re trying to ruin your life, steeped in negativity. But while it may feel like torture to be kept late, we don’t have the full picture of what’s going on. Maybe your supervisor heard from his supervisor that you’re on the way out if your output isn’t better, in which case he totally has your back. Venting to a third party is going to paint your manager in a poor light, and it’s not going to solve the problem. That’s the key here: It’s not going to solve the problem. What happens when you lean too hard into this cycle of venting is that you become more inclined to just complain. “It feels