June 07, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC There’s no denying that the Mediterranean diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest eating plans for longevity, heart benefits, and more. In fact, just this year it was named the top diet in US News and World Report’s annual ranking. Why? Well even though diets like keto and Paleo are right on trend, the Mediterranean diet never (and probably won’t ever) go out of style, as it’s sustainable and easy to implement without the onerous restrictions of these “up and coming” diets. It’s also backed by a wide variety of scientifically-proven benefits. It’s been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, says Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, and it’s rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals to make it a great anti-inflammatory way of living, she adds. “On top of that, we are seeing diets very rich in fiber and plants are able to better support the microbiome, or the balance of healthy flora in our gastrointestinal tract,” she adds. However, it’s not always clear what it actually looks like to eat a Mediterranean diet on a day-to-day basis. I know there’s lots of olive oil involved, some wine, and definitely some salmon…but apart from that, because the eating plan is so broad, it’s kind of hard to know if you’re doing it right. That’s why I talked to nutrition experts to get a breakdown of the Mediterranean diet macros, plus what a healthy,
Year: 2019
Could “magic mushrooms” follow in the footsteps of cannabis on the road to legalization?
June 07, 2019 at 07:25AM by CWC In some states, it’s not even legal to sell lattes laced with CBD. Meanwhile, in Oakland, California, they’ve moved on to decriminalizing “magic mushrooms” known to cause hallucinations. Similarly, over in Colorado, residents of Denver narrowly voted last month to make possession and consumption of psilocybin mushrooms “the lowest law enforcement priority.” (The mushrooms remain illegal, however, and it will still be a felony to sell them.) Given how rapidly opinions and laws are changing surrounding cannabis, these new moves from Denver and Oakland raise the question if magic mushrooms are slated to get the marijuana treatment. The medical community is split on the safety of psilocybin mushrooms. Some experts point to true health benefits of these substances, including helping with anxiety and depression, chronic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. Conversely, consumption can lead to psychotic episodes or engagement in potentially reckless behavior. Many questions about psilocybin mushrooms remain in part because the medical community—and the U.S. government—has been unwilling to study them and other psychedelic compounds. Therefore, growing interest comes from independent research organizations, like Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), The Beckley Foundation, and the Heffter Research Institute. (The soap company Dr. Bronner contributes to MAPS’ research, although its latest donation is intended for research into MDMA, another psychedelic drug, and mental health issues.) American citizens hold conflicting views on psychedelic mushrooms, too. As Time pointed out, 53 percent of respondents to a 2017 YouGov survey said they support medical research
How to tap reflexology to give yourself a foot massage that’s worthy of belong in a spa
June 07, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC When I’m walking around the streets of New York City, there are a lot of things I’ve come to expect on almost every block: a bodega, a food cart, and a massage place with a foot reflexology chart planted on the window. I’m always interested in all three, but it’s the foot reflexology that I’ve yet to actually try for myself (and everyone tells me I’m missing out). Here’s the deal: Foot reflexology is an old-school practice of touching certain points in your foot that correspond with other points in your body for all sorts of benefits. “Reflexology is pressure points on the foot which are energetically connected to other areas in the body” explains Juhi Singh, Chinese herbalist, acupuncturist, and founder of the Juhi Center. “Different points on the feet can help stimulate and pass energy to organs throughout the rest of the body. For example, points on the tip of the toes can stimulate the head, while the ball of your foot can reflect in your heart and chest.” All you’ve gotta do is stimulate these points, and it works as a sort of alt-therapy for a multitude of health perks. “Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative therapy which involves applying pressure to the feet with the help of your thumb, fingers, and props without using oil or lotion,” says Naveen Sharma, naturopathy counselor at YO1 Wellness Center in the Catskills, New York. The benefits of doing this? “You can
8 natural ways to keep your energy up without resorting to coffee
June 07, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC So you’ve decided to give up caffeine—good for you (and godspeed). There are a ton of reasons why people give up coffee and other forms of caffeine, whether it’s to help with anxiety symptoms or to stop feeling such a crash in the afternoon. But whatever your reason, there’s no doubt that the first few days of caffeine withdrawal can be R-O-U-G-H. (Hello, caffeine headache, lethargy, and crankiness.) But now if you’re left wondering how to stay awake without caffeine, don’t worry—it’s totally possible. We talked to nutrition and sleep experts to nab their best tips for staying alert and awake during the day when coffee is just not an option for you. No selling your soul required! 1. Prioritize eating for energy Eat a healthy, balanced meal, recommends Amy Shapiro, RD, founder and director of New York City-based Real Nutrition. “If you go long without food, you’re going to get tired,” she says. She suggests reaching for a snack or meal every three to four hours, making sure that you include a mix of complex carbs, lean protein, and a healthy fat—say, a salad with chicken, avocado, and vegetables, or a quinoa bowl with roasted veggies and salmon. (You can find some other afternoon snack ideas here.) “This will balance your blood sugar and keep your energy up,” she adds. 2. Sniff on some citrus “There’s some evidence that citrus—such as eating an orange or having some lemon in your water—can help
I found the gym machine that gives you a full-body workout in a single move
June 07, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC There are approximately 10,000 things I’d rather do than use the rowing machine—or the “erg,” if you’re fancy—at the gym: Confront every boy who’s ever ghosted me, participate in the Fear Factor food challenge, or sit next to a crying baby on an airplane whilst hungover (and the list goes on). I know it’s a great workout, because it fires up pretty much every muscle in your body as it spikes the heart rate, but it’s just so hard. So recently, when I discovered a new type of “rowing” machine popping up in my HIIT classes, I was equal parts intrigued and intimidated. Unlike the regular erg, which sits on the ground in order to mimic the action of rowing a boat, this one is called a “ski erg,” and stands upright. You pull the handles down, which somehow mimics the act of using ski poles, and winds up giving you a damn good—and kind of, sort of, fun—workout in the process. “The ski erg is a low impact workout and a high calorie burner,” says Tatiana Lampa, a trainer at FitHouse, where I first discovered the machine during a particularly intense HIIT class. It works your lats, triceps, abs, low back, hamstring, glutes and calves (so, basically your entire body), while also packing a major cardio punch. “I like using it as a ‘cardio sprint, or even at the end of a workout for metabolic conditioning,” she explains. “That way you reach EPOC
I found the gym machine that gives you a full-body workout in a single move
June 07, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC There are approximately 10,000 things I’d rather do than use the rowing machine—or the “erg,” if you’re fancy—at the gym: Confront every boy who’s ever ghosted me, participate in the Fear Factor food challenge, or sit next to a crying baby on an airplane whilst hungover (and the list goes on). I know it’s a great workout, because it fires up pretty much every muscle in your body as it spikes the heart rate, but it’s just so hard. So recently, when I discovered a new type of “rowing” machine popping up in my HIIT classes, I was equal parts intrigued and intimidated. Unlike the regular erg, which sits on the ground in order to mimic the action of rowing a boat, this one is called a “ski erg,” and stands upright. You pull the handles down, which somehow mimics the act of using ski poles, and winds up giving you a damn good—and kind of, sort of, fun—workout in the process. “The ski erg is a low impact workout and a high calorie burner,” says Tatiana Lampa, a trainer at FitHouse, where I first discovered the machine during a particularly intense HIIT class. It works your lats, triceps, abs, low back, hamstring, glutes and calves (so, basically your entire body), while also packing a major cardio punch. “I like using it as a ‘cardio sprint, or even at the end of a workout for metabolic conditioning,” she explains. “That way you reach EPOC
This woman is challenging some big yoga assumptions
June 07, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Well+Good presents Wellness in Color, a new series highlighting prominent wellness practitioners of color who are doing healing work in their communities. Featuring conversations led by Latham Thomas, a Well+Good Council member and the founder of Mama Glow, these stories shine a spotlight on energy workers, nutrition experts, sexuality doulas, and other wellness luminaries. Here, Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, the founder of Naaya Wellness—which creates yoga and mindfulness programming for people of color—explains why she’s so passionate about her mission. Photo: Joel Arbaje Latham Thomas: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do with Naaya Wellness? Sinikiwe Dhliwayo: I was born in Zimbabwe and left when I was about two. After I was injured while training for the New York City Marathon, my physical therapist suggested doing yoga. I kept going back to the practice because I was working in an environment that wasn’t very supportive, and yoga became a respite. Then I worked with Bent On Learning, a nonprofit that puts yoga in public schools for kids. With Naaya, I’m working on an accessible teacher training program, and I’m always thinking of ways to push a visual narrative of what wellness looks like. Despite the fact that there are teachers of color in yoga or meditation, there is no visibility. To me, it’s important to change the conversation visually as well. What inspired you to do this work? Working with kids and seeing how they were benefiting from
This woman is challenging some big yoga assumptions
June 07, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Well+Good presents Wellness in Color, a new series highlighting prominent wellness practitioners of color who are doing healing work in their communities. Featuring conversations led by Latham Thomas, a Well+Good Council member and the founder of Mama Glow, these stories shine a spotlight on energy workers, nutrition experts, sexuality doulas, and other wellness luminaries. Here, Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, the founder of Naaya Wellness—which creates yoga and mindfulness programming for people of color—explains why she’s so passionate about her mission. Photo: Joel Arbaje Latham Thomas: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do with Naaya Wellness? Sinikiwe Dhliwayo: I was born in Zimbabwe and left when I was about two. After I was injured while training for the New York City Marathon, my physical therapist suggested doing yoga. I kept going back to the practice because I was working in an environment that wasn’t very supportive, and yoga became a respite. Then I worked with Bent On Learning, a nonprofit that puts yoga in public schools for kids. With Naaya, I’m working on an accessible teacher training program, and I’m always thinking of ways to push a visual narrative of what wellness looks like. Despite the fact that there are teachers of color in yoga or meditation, there is no visibility. To me, it’s important to change the conversation visually as well. What inspired you to do this work? Working with kids and seeing how they were benefiting from
You’re not crazy: Here’s how to deal with gaslighting in any relationship
June 07, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC The trickiest part about knowing how to deal with gaslighting in a relationship is being able to decipher whether you’re actually being gaslighted in the first place. When I first started sifting through my mental archives, I wasn’t even sure I had ever experienced it. Then I remembered the last time my ex randomly texted me the Wikipedia page of “narcissistic personality disorder,” saying he was “trying to help.” There was also the time I “invented” that he told me he broke up with his new girlfriend over the weekend, despite texts confirming such events were literally in my phone. Or like 40 other incidents that resulted in him saying, “you’re being crazy right now” to me. So basically, I realized years later that gaslighting was the defining quality of my longest on-and-off relationship. Better late than never? Maybe, but I’m assuming you don’t have a decade of your life to waste, so let’s cut to the facts, here. Psychotherapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, a sex and relationship expert, says it’s one thing to be lied to, but “it’s another when your partner denies the truth when they look you in the eye, and you know they are lying to you. You have proof, and they keep denying it.” Essentially, it’s the language and behavior a person uses to usurp your sense of what’s actually going on. “When they lie to you when they’ve been confronted and try to deny your reality in the
You’re not crazy: Here’s how to deal with gaslighting in any relationship
June 07, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC The trickiest part about knowing how to deal with gaslighting in a relationship is being able to decipher whether you’re actually being gaslighted in the first place. When I first started sifting through my mental archives, I wasn’t even sure I had ever experienced it. Then I remembered the last time my ex randomly texted me the Wikipedia page of “narcissistic personality disorder,” saying he was “trying to help.” There was also the time I “invented” that he told me he broke up with his new girlfriend over the weekend, despite texts confirming such events were literally in my phone. Or like 40 other incidents that resulted in him saying, “you’re being crazy right now” to me. So basically, I realized years later that gaslighting was the defining quality of my longest on-and-off relationship. Better late than never? Maybe, but I’m assuming you don’t have a decade of your life to waste, so let’s cut to the facts, here. Psychotherapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, a sex and relationship expert, says it’s one thing to be lied to, but “it’s another when your partner denies the truth when they look you in the eye, and you know they are lying to you. You have proof, and they keep denying it.” Essentially, it’s the language and behavior a person uses to usurp your sense of what’s actually going on. “When they lie to you when they’ve been confronted and try to deny your reality in the