December 17, 2019 at 11:01PM by CWC I never understood how sucking down a rock booger was supposed to make you, like, really horny. I get the intent whenever a guy invited me out for red wine and oysters, but the whole presentation (and my general aversion to seafood) felt more like a turn off. It does make you wonder, do aphrodisiacs work, and if so how do they trick our mind and bodies into peak arousal? Well, in a few different ways, in fact. Aphrodisiacs have been studied forever, mention of aphrodisiacs has been found in texts from various ancient civilizations, including Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese and Roman. In modern times, there have been many interesting studies on how aphrodisiacs may make subjects frisky. As Sally Fisher, MD, integrative medicine specialist and medical director at Sunrise Springs points out, searching “aphrodisiacs” in the virtual National Library of Medicine returns 830 peer reviewed scientific studies. How plants or herbal products might effect the body or mind really varies based on the aphrodisiac. “Some examples of effects include increasing hormones like testosterone, or certain neurotransmitters in the brain, or dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow, or affecting molecules in the body such as, for example, nitric oxide, the molecule that Viagra affects,” says Dr. Fisher. And sometimes the studies just note that certain herbs make animals want to bang more. Basically, it’s complicated to deduce what will potently work on a person, although she has one herb in mind. “I tend to recommend Tribulus terrestris,
Day: December 17, 2019
Cannabis legalization shows potential to fight the opioid crisis—but it has limitations
December 17, 2019 at 10:01PM by CWC In 2017, doctors wrote 191 million opioid prescriptions. That same year, more than 47,000 died at the hands of prescription and illicit opioids, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Now, new research published in the Journal of Health Economics suggests that cannabis access laws could lead to fewer opioid prescriptions. Using data pulled from 1.5 billion individual opioid prescriptions issued between 2011 and 2018, the study’s authors tied recreational cannabis use (currently legal in 10 U.S. states) with a 11.8 percent lower rate of opioids prescriptions each day, compared to a 4.2 percent lower rate with the use of medical marijuana. In addition, both uses were found to diminish the number of days a prescription was given for, the overall number of patients who received an opioid prescription, and the likelihood of a doctor writing the prescription in the first place. “No study has had access to the depth of information we had access to,” Benjamin McMichael, an author of the study and assistant law professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. “We had information from all different insurance carriers. We had private insurance people, we had Medicare beneficiaries, we had Medicaid beneficiaries, cash-paying patients (which you almost never get information on), as well as other government assistance patients. So we really had a very granular picture of what opioid prescriptions look like. And because we could trace them to the individual healthcare provider who wrote the prescription,
How to navigate the holidays if you have IBS—without feeling like a total Grinch
December 17, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Dealing with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be tricky no matter what time of year it is. (Shout out to everyone who knows exactly where all the private bathrooms are at their workplace.) But dealing with a sensitive stomach prone to pain, cramping, diarrhea, or constipation can be especially rough during the holidays. Not only can stress levels run higher than usual (which can exacerbate the condition), there’s also an influx of boozy holiday parties, long, sit-down family meals full of rich foods, and of course all the holiday traveling. When you’re preoccupied with thoughts about your finicky digestive system, it can take away from the joy of the holiday season. Fortunately, IBS Nutrition founder, The 28-Day Plan for IBS Relief author, and registered dietitian Audrey Inouye, RD is here to help. Inouye specializes in helping people manage their IBS symptoms, both through what they eat and other lifestyle tips that extend beyond diet. Here, she gives solutions to the biggest stressors people with IBS worry about this time of year. Keep reading for her expert intel. Managing IBS amidst holiday stress For many people, there’s a direct correlation between stress and their IBS symptoms. And despite what your fave Hallmark movie may depict, the holidays can be a very stressful time. Family get-togethers, present-related money woes, meeting end-of-year work goals, the general business of the season…it’s a lot to handle at once. “Whether your IBS presents as bloating, diarrhea, or constipation,
12 recipes that use the spicy Italian ingredient connected to longevity
December 17, 2019 at 07:05PM by CWC If you’re a fan of chili peppers, you’re in luck. Aside from bringing on the heat, new research shows they can also help you live longer—the best possible reason to spice up your life. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers looked into the health status and eating habits of more than 22,800 citizens of Molise, a region of Southern Italy, over an 8-year period. What they found is that consumption of chili peppers is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. On top of that, for those who ate chili peppers the all-cause mortality risk was 23 percent lower than who didn’t eat chili peppers. I mean, those stats are pretty impressive. And if you want to start reaping the longevity benefits of the spicy vegetable yourself, here are some of the best chili pepper recipes to get you started. The best chili pepper recipes to help you live a long, spicy life Photo: Fork in the Road 1. Fusilli pasta salad Fusilli pasta originated in Molise, so this spicy pasta salad recipe seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes is a must-try. Photo: Sonja and Alex Overhiser 2. Darn good vegan chili This wholesome chili gets a lot of flavor and spice from the solid dose of chili powder. Photo: Kim-Julie Hansen 3. Cinnamon-chili sweet potatoes with miso-ginger tempeh These cinnamon-chili sweet potatoes totally steal the show in this bowl. They’re anti-inflammatory, vegan, and
The best ways to cool down after your workout, according to professional stretchers
December 17, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC When it comes to your fitness routine, recovery is the talk of the town. These days, giving your body TLC between workouts has become a whole industry, stacked everything you can dream of to get your muscles loose and feelin’ spry. That said, the tools and methods out there are all pretty different—so it can be confusing to navigate whether you should be stretching, foam rolling, or using a percussive therapy device to help melt away tension in your muscles. Each method has its own specific benefit, and each one of them is generally good to turn to—if you stick with it. “Any method you choose, you have to be consistent. Recovery is not a one-and-done thing.” says Rand McClain, DO, osteopath and regenerative medicine expert. While consistency is key (as with anything in your workout), it comes with a caveat: Not much research has been done comparing the different recovery methods out there. “A lot of factors go into which method works best,” he says. “How often are you using this method, how consistent are you, how long are you using it for—things like that will determine its effectiveness.” You can’t really go wrong when you’re recovering (though keep in mind that stretching cold muscles, for one, should be avoided). “There’s no bad answer to recovery and each of these modalities can effectively relax your body while helping repair your muscles,” says Emily Kiberd, DC, chiropractor and co-founder of Urban Wellness Clinic
8 tips for coping with grief and loss during the holidays, according to two experts
December 17, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Healing is not linear. It’s a reality Vivian Nuñez, a writer and founder of Too Damn Young, a digital community and resource for young adults navigating grief, unearthed after the loss of her mother at age 10 and later her grandmother, after becoming her grandmother’s primary caretaker. When her grandmother passed away, she was just 21 and two months shy of college graduation. “I was navigating the deep ends of grief,” the content creator says. “There were certain parts that felt very reminiscent of losing my mom, which was the key thing, like the death anniversary; the first year being super hard, [around] the holidays. But there were also the nuances that were so new and different.” When it comes to loss, staff psychologist and professor at Columbia University Mariel Buquè, PhD, notes that the body and mind get creative. “People are going to represent grief and loss in very different ways that honor how their soul is feeling at the time,” she says. Grief is multilayered. It can be felt in the body through insomnia or hypersomnia, issues with appetite, or other physical manifestations of loss. Grief can take a person through a range of emotions like sadness, anger, and guilt. It can align with the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—or completely break from these phases. Navigating grief and loss during the holidays can be particularly challenging. While you’re expected to be in a festive mood, surrounded by loved ones
Our devices have made us digital hoarders, even if we claim to live minimally
December 17, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC I currently have 14,394 unread emails in one of my inboxes, a barrage of files cluttering my laptop desktop, and hundreds of thousands of photos (including screenshots I’ll surely never need to see again) on my iPhone. If these digital files were physical documents, they’d be swallowing my home whole. And while I definitely don’t need all (or even most) of them, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to delete the extraneous files. It seems that the advent of cloud-based storage has expanded the scope of hoarding disorder beyond stockpiling just material goods. Now, we’re all just a bunch of digital hoarders, clinging to matter with no critical mass. Mayo Clinic defines hoarding disorder as “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.” Digital hoarding is a relatively new subset of the condition—officially, at least—as it was first identified as a thing in 2015 by researchers in Amsterdam. “Patients with digital hoarding as a symptom of hoarding disorder experience a very high urge to collect and save their digital data,” says one of those researchers, psychiatrist Nienke Vulink, MD, PhD. “They feel an intense connection with their belongings—in this case, digital data—and are not able to throw things away.” Dr. Vulink says more research is needed to better understand the symptoms of digital hoarding, and how to treat them. What we know about digital hoarding Nick Neave, PhD, director of a hoarding research group at the
The adaptogen to add to your supplement arsenal ASAP—plus, ways to make it work harder for you
December 17, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVhmXxcClQk] Similar to how you had to do a bit of research to figure out how to actually pronounce it, there are still plenty of ashwagandha benefits that you may not even know about (considering it took a hot minute to decipher all of its syllables). Firstly, ashwagandha is an adaptogen. “Adaptogens are herbs that are believed to help you cope better with the grind of life and all the challenges it throws your way,” Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD says. “That includes stress, inflammation, pollutants, fatigue—and the list goes on.” (Re: all the not-so-good stuff.) What’s cool about ashwagandha is that could help lower levels of cortisol and overall stress. “That’s a good thing, because if cortisol (our stress hormone) gets out of hand, it can send your adrenal gland into overdrive, causing you to feel exhausted, fatigued, and weak,” Beckerman says. In order to reap all the potential ashwagandha benefits, though, it’s vital to choose the highest-quality organic ingredients, she adds. “A supplement is likely the easiest way to get your daily dose of ashwagandha,” she says. Beckerman recommends one that contains 250-300 milligrams of extract per serving. UPGRAID, an all-natural, fully organic recovery aid, has 250 milligrams of turmeric mixed with 300 milligrams of ashwagandha—making it the ideal pop-in-your-mouth rejuvenation tool after an intense workout. This ashwagandha-turmeric combo is Beckerman’s preference, as it delivers a one-two punch starting with reducing stress and then returning your body to a normal and
Yep, even the happiest couples are likely to fight while traveling
December 17, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC The time has finally come for you and your significant other to take that trip you’ve been planning for ages. Your bags are packed, your snacks are accounted for, and you’re basically dreaming about the fresh environment where you’ll surely clock in some A+ quality time and off-the-walls vacation sex. But then all of a sudden, you’re rustled from your trance because “this route has too many tolls and now we’re going to have to drive through the city, and are you even listening to the GPS? It says turn right. RIGHT, you idiot.” To be clear, it’s not just you; fighting on vacation, even in the scope of happy, healthy partnerships, is totally a thing. In fact, bickering with your partner on the road is basically just par for the travel course. And if your final destination is to somewhere decidedly not-sexy, like the twin bed in your parents’ home, expect tensions to be extra high. But still, no matter whether the trip was born from an obligation or was supposed to be leisurely in nature, what fuels this argumentative fire in the first place? Why are we so inclined to fight more with our partner when we’re traveling? “When people are overtired and exhausted, they have no patience for dealing with even one more drop of stress from their partner.” —relationship therapist Laurel Steinberg, PhD According to relationship therapist Laurel Steinberg, PhD, more than a few factors fan these flames, but there
Experts bust the 5 biggest myths about bras, which no lie, will change how I shop
December 17, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC My bra situation is pathetic. I can’t believe I’m admitting this to the public, but I really only wear one bra every single day. Needless to say, my intimates drawer could use some work, and the more I learn about how to find a bra that fits (actually fits rather than kind of works), the more I realize that so many different factors go into finding the right bra. The problem with this? Plenty of people are walking around with not enough support, something that should’ve been retired, or something that’s entirely the wrong size. It’s something that Frederika Zappe, national fit specialist, witnesses everyday. “I would say eight times out of 10 when someone comes in to be fitted for a bra, she is invariably wearing her band too big or the cups too small,” she says. Case in point? My entire life, I figured that because I am small chested, I should be wearing a 32A or 34A. But… I’m actually a 28C. Whether you’re looking at your everyday bra or one for the gym, experts break down the most misunderstood aspects of bras and how they should fit that you should know about for your best support ever. The support is in the band The two main parts of a bra that keep it in place are the straps and the band, but it’s the band that does the real heavy lifting. “Eighty percent of support come from the bottom