December 31, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC If you’re gluten intolerant or suffer from celiac disease, you already know standard beer is a no-go since it’s made of water, hops, yeast, and gluten-containing grains like barley, rye, or wheat. But as wellness culture slowly trickles into the beverage industry, you may be led to believe spirits, too, contain gluten, and that they’re off limits. And that is categorically false—to a certain degree. “The only other consideration I can think of that could matter is if a spirit is made in a facility that processes gluten. For instance, if a vodka brand also makes beer,” says Kevin Gray, beverage expert and editor of the drinks website Bevvy. “It’s hard to imagine that cross-contamination scenario, but it could happen, I suppose.” Let’s back it up for a second. Distilled alcohol is necessarily always gluten-free because the distillation process strips away the protein that those with gluten intolerances react to. Gray says alcohol labeled “gluten-free” has not been manufactured any differently than counterparts without gluten-free labeling, so distilled spirits like vodka, rum, whiskey, and bourbon labeled “gluten-free” is redundant. It’s the equivalent of a veggie burger brand proudly declaring their products are “meat-free.” Your “gluten-free” vodka might actually be a misnomer, but the microscopic amount it does contain won’t harm you. As per the Food and Drug Administration, a product can be labeled “gluten-free” while also legally containing a gluten content of up to 20 parts per million since it’s the lowest amount
Month: December 2019
3 self-reflection questions therapists ask themselves at the end of the year
December 31, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC No matter what your think of the events of the past decade, chances are you’re doing at least a little self-reflection as it comes to a close. Self-evaluation in the form of self-reflection questions can be a helpful tool for crafting new intentions. “Crafting a clear vision of what you hope to create can have tremendous benefits,” says therapist David Klow, LMFT, author of You Are Not Crazy: Letters From Your Therapist. Asking yourself a few self-reflection questions before setting intentions for the year ahead will help you to discover what you really want to accomplish. The answers might reveal your heart’s deepest desires. “I think people who self-evaluate do so because they know they do not have all the answers, they are imperfect, and they know that their circumstances eventually change,” says therapist and author of Finding Peace When Your Heart Is In Pieces Paul Coleman, PhD. The self-reflection questions therapists ask themselves 1. “What do I wish people understood about me better that they don’t understand?” Sometimes people hold themselves back because they feel misunderstood. “While it references ‘other people,’ it’s really about oneself; what do I need to do in order to be better understood? And if others did understand me better, what difference would it make in what I want to achieve or who I want to become?” says Dr. Coleman. When asking yourself this question, Dr. Coleman says it’s helpful to consider your unique strengths and weaknesses. In
Shop once, eat 5 times with this Whole 30-friendly dinner plan
December 31, 2019 at 01:14AM by CWC In the wellness crowd, it feels like there are few terms more firmly associated with new year’s resolutions than Whole30. According to Google Trends data, search interest for the popular eating plan, which functions as a temporary elimination diet, spikes consistently every year in January. “Whole30 is a whole food-centered diet that eliminates gluten, dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol and all added sugars,” says Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD. The eating plan was designed to help people identify potentially problematic foods, although Michalczyk says many people also use it for weight management. “It’s often done in January when most people feel they want to get back on track after the holidays and want a specific set of rules to follow,” she adds. Given that it cuts out so many food groups, following Whole30 makes grocery shopping and meal prepping a definite challenge. You might feel clueless wandering down the aisles, unsure of what you can and cannot eat. And since you’re cutting out processed foods, that grocery bill might be higher than you’re used to. It should be noted that Whole30 is fairly restrictive, and isn’t necessarily the right thing to try for everyone. But if you’re looking to try it yourself in January, Michalczyk has a shopping list with some easy dinner ideas to get you started. Five days down…25 to go. Your Whole30 shopping list: Nutritional yeast Almond butter Coconut aminos Carrots Peppers Snap peas Fresh ginger Parsley 2 onions 1 spaghetti squash
Buh-bye brow gel: Brow pinching is the fastest route to lifted arches
December 30, 2019 at 11:01PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsKTLOkwws4] When it comes to eyebrows, there used to just be waxing, tweezing, and filling in the patchy spots with a pencil, but as we approach 2020, there are now brow treatments aplenty. You can swipe on a gel for quick volume, get a microblading treatment for a fuller effect, or try eyebrow extensions if you’re looking for more length. There’s also brow pinching, which is a more holistic way to lift your brows. In our latest episode of What the Wellness—Well+Good’s YouTube series that examines the wackiest wellness treatments around—director of creative development Ella Dove visits the Blink Brow Bar at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City to experience “pinching.” Brow pinching is derived from a traditional Ayurvedic practice that involve massaging (and well, pinching) the area around the eyes to help lift the brow bone. After Dove hops into the treatment seat, brow therapist Mayuri begins the 10-minute massage (which costs $26). A blend of soothing almond oil and aloe vera are used to work through marma points, AKA healing energy points in the body used in Ayurveda. Massaging these places is supposed to boost positive energy into your chakras and, in addition to helping to make your brows appear more lifted, can help with other common skin-care issues such as dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines by increasing circulation and promoting lymphatic drainage. BTW, brow pinching is something you could do yourself, much like a regular facial massage (though,
This Mexican stew is loaded with protein—and it’s 100 percent vegan
December 30, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC If you’re in desperate need of a new recipe on rotation after one too many tomato soups and grilled cheeses, I have the perfect addition to your lineup: a vegan Mexican stew that’s loaded with plant-based protein. Bethany Ugarte, the blogger behind Lilsipper, has been eating menudo—a tradition Mexican soup—during the holidays for as long as she can remember. While the main component of the original version is cow stomach, she remade it with all vegan ingredients to reap the benefits in a healthier way. And the star of the show is none other than everyone’s favorite legume: chickpeas. With 39 grams of protein per cup, chickpeas are an excellent source of nutrition. Put together with vegetarian both, tomatoes, kale, and a splash of metabolism-boosting hot sauce, you create a simple meal in minutes. The next time you want to cuddle up with a cozy stew, whip up Ugarte’s easy-to-make recipe. Mexican chickpea stew Ingredients 3 cups chickpeas (pre-cooked or canned) 4 cups water 4 cups veggie broth 1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce 1 18 oz. jar diced tomatoes 1 cup fresh dinosaur kale, chopped black pepper to taste 1. Warm all soup ingredients in a pot. 2. Once warm, garnish as desired. For another healthy plant-based recipe, try this immunity broth: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-U4V3PTnas] These are the best plant-based proteins that won’t mess with your digestion. Then check out the only 7 spices you need to create a million flavor combinations. Continue Reading…
After my dad almost died, I became gripped with fear—here’s how I’m letting it go
December 30, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC The night was already hectic—and that was even before disaster struck. I had spent the day at my parents’ house—who live an hour away from me—in order to spend some time with them while also checking some things off my to-do list (Haircut? Check). The day we spent together was nice, but it was a work night, and by the time the sun was starting to set, I was anxious to get home. My dad, who was supposed to drive me, was on the Peloton, squeezing in a quick workout. I was annoyed. Why wasn’t he ready to go? When my dad (finally…) got off the bike, he said he had a headache. And then he threw up. My mom and I took one look at the Chick-fil-A wrappers abandoned on the kitchen table and chocked it up to the mistake of downing a chicken sandwich minutes before clipping into the bike—a fool’s error. “I’ll just drive you,” my mom said, both of us simmering. But once we were in the car, our anger gave way to concern. Both my mom and I had a capital-letters Bad Feeling, wondering if we’d been too hard on my dad and worried about whether he was okay. We called him repeatedly until he answered, and when he did, his speech was heavily slurred. He was at the hospital, he told us. We turned around. My dad had experienced what’s called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a life-threatening stroke
I’m a chiropractor, and this is the one thing I do every day to stay loose and limber
December 30, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Chiropractors work to restore and realign your body. So here’s a question: What do the experts do to ensure they stay just as loose and limber as the clients they see on the daily? For one, the answer is simple—all the stretches. Despite a demanding schedule, Roy Nissim, DC, a chiropractor at Active Therapy Center in Santa Monica, California, always makes time to work on himself. The best way to stay loose and limber is “making sure you get your upper body mobile as much as your lower body,” he says. To do that, he favors dynamic movements over static stretching. “Static stretching, the type of stretching where you hold it for a long time, could lead to injury if you haven’t warmed up,” Nissim says. “Instead, I perform a lot of dynamic movements to keep myself limber, like the World’s Greatest Stretch. It incorporates movement in all positions to make sure you’re stretching the entire body.” Since there are a handful of different movements involved in the World’s Greatest Stretch, it can take a second to learn how to do the sequence properly. But once you have it down, you can use it to stretch out every muscle group in your body in just a few minutes a day. To try it for yourself, follow along with the video below to learn the World’s Greatest Stretch. How to perform the World’s Greatest Stretch [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiN-2yAIkec] The scorpion stretch gives your hips, low back,
Not a fan of HIIT workouts? Steady-state training is here for you
December 30, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, might be one of the most efficient workouts you can do. But jump squats, sprints, and burpees aren’t for everyone. Instead of pairing short and intense bursts of physical activity with periods of rest, you can reach your fitness goals with the help of steady-state training. “Steady-state training is cardiovascular training focused on maintaining a lower end—or moderate—heart rate rather than the shorter high-intensity interval training we see so much of in today’s fitness world,” says Sam Tooley, a personal trainer and the owner of Alpha Performance Studio in New Jersey. There are perks of slowing things down a little. HIIT can give you great results in an impressive amount of time, but it can also be hard on your body. Steady-state training is easier to stick with, says Tooley, and can help make working out something you love to do. “While high-intensity interval training will get you bang for your buck, it can take a toll on your body if you overdo it,” Tooley says. “Steady-state cardio, or working within a lower heart rate zone, will help you build your aerobic engine over the long haul, which is needed to make significant fitness gains and reach new levels.” So, what exactly does a steady-state training workout look like? It’s simple. Instead of having a long list of exercises to do, Tooley says it could be anything from working on a stationary bike to using the StairMaster or
The 3-step guide for mastering mirror work to level up your self-love practice
December 30, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC I learned about mirror work a few years ago after discovering the book about it by self-help pioneer Louise Hay. Soon after, it became my go-to self-love practice—and for good reason. “Mirror work is a unique, new age type of practice where you meet your reflection in the mirror and send yourself loving, self-affirming affirmations, and even open up a conversation with yourself as if you’re speaking with a dear friend,” says empowerment coach and astrologer Natalia Benson. “It’s about getting to know yourself so you can face your life with courage as an aligned and self-aware human being.” Research of neural activity supports the hypothesis that speaking positive affirmations can have a positive effect on self-perception. So it makes sense, then, that adding a mirror into the mix would only elevate the practice. Theories rooted in psychology and neuroscience also point to mirrors aiding in self-development, shifting the way you see yourself, and grounding you in your body. “[Mirror work] is about getting to know yourself so you can face your life with courage as an aligned and self-aware human being.” —empowerment coach Natalia Benson Other potential benefits of mirror work? An increased sense of self-confidence, inner peace, and a deeper sense of trust in yourself and your life. “You’ll notice it’s easier to have tough conversations, like asking for a raise, firing someone, asking someone on a date, etc., because you’re no longer avoiding yourself and your inner power,” Benson says.
The wellness trends we want to say goodbye to in 2019 for a happier, healthier 365 days ahead
December 30, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC We’re about to close the chapter on another decade, and there’s no denying it: wellness ruled in 2010-2019 (see: the $4.5 trillion global wellness industry). As we say “see ya!” to 10 years characterized by self-care as a commodity, “going with your gut” taking on a very physical meaning, and wellness travel becoming synonymous with “travel”, there are few trends we’re ready to part with, too. From detox teas to hot yoga to antidepressant stigma, here are the seven trends Well+Good staffers will be showing the door before the shiny, new year ahead. So long, farewell, plastic AND paper straws “We have got to say a huge goodbye to paper straws. I am all for greener options, especially for the people who need to sip their beverages through a thin tube—but do we really enjoy the way it makes your coffee (Or matcha! Tea! Boba!) tastes like dirt? Or disintegrates? I promise you the market has a beautiful reusable glass or metal options—not to mention that they’re way better overall for the environment.” —Ems McCarthy, Well+Good digital designer The Boston Tea Party: Detox tea edition “They don’t work, they’re dangerous, and they promote a very warped idea of what bodies should look and behave like.” —Jessie Van Amburg, senior food and health editor Why detox teas don’t work: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JfDth-RNmY] Antidepressant shaming needs to be silenced “I’d love to see antidepressant shame disappear in 2020. Yes, ‘big pharma’ is problematic and yes, mental health