April 04, 2019 at 11:33PM Plus, other astrological happenings this month. Continue Reading… Author The AstroTwins | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
Year: 2019
This woman is reframing the post-pregnancy body conversation—and we’re so here for it
April 04, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC Start Googling “post-pregnancy…” and the top suggestions for completing your search are belly, workout, and diet—i.e. all searches focusing on ways to change your body after having a baby. If you believe the internet, post-pregnancy body confidence is not a thing. But according to Lisa Ann Jersey—a Nevada-based stay-at-home mom who works part-time teaching life skills to newly released prison inmates (yeah, she’s a badass)—mothers should be feeling more self confident, not less, after pregnancy. She would know. She’s been fielding uncomfortable comments on her 48 DDD chest since she was a little girl, but having two little girls of her own is what finally helped her fully step into her confidence. “I tried really hard to wear my busty nature as a badge of honor.” “For quite some time—until I had children probably—I tried really hard to wear my busty nature as a badge of honor,” Jersey says. “I sort of linked it to my identity in a way.” Motherhood, though, has readjusted how she defines her identity and has helped her develop a deep sense of self love that isn’t dependent on what others have to say about her. To help you unearth that kind of self-esteem, we’re teaming up with Target to share the personal journeys of inspiring women and the better body-image lessons they’ve learned along the way. Keep reading for 4 powerful post-pregnancy body image truths that mothers and non-moms need to hear. 1. Tune out the haters
This is what a week of workouts should look like if you want to optimize your gut health
April 04, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC Like your bestie who makes you laugh until you cry, you’d do anything for your gut. But even if you’re down to pop a probiotic in the morning, sip kombucha in the afternoon, and avoid certain inflammatory foods at dinner, you might be missing a major part of the all-day gut-health equation. Check out this stat: “A recent study, in which participants worked out for 30 minutes, three days a week, for six weeks straight, showed that many participants experienced an increase in certain microbes in the gut that help reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases as well as type II diabetes,” says Nora Minno, RD and Daily Burn trainer. The trick is, you need to do the right type of exercise to grab those endorphins with a side of gut-healthy benefits—otherwise you could actually end up hurting your microbiome situation more than helping it. Confused? To figure out where, exactly, the right exercise balance is, we teamed up with RenewLife®—makers of the cult-favorite women’s probiotic supplement—and asked two gut pros for simple strategies for optimizing your digestion with exercise. After all, keeping your gut happy and balanced (ahem, daily probiotics) helps you reap the feel-good benefits. Keep reading for 3 tips for how to exercise for digestive health from gut health pros. Photo: Unsplash/Brooke Cagle 1. Opt for low intensity and low impact work If gut health is one of your top wellness goals or if you’re dealing with GI issues, mix easy-on-the-body modalities
The little-known Instagram tweak that’s basically a double-tap for your mental health
April 04, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC In a definitive ranking of habits that most benefit my mental health, scrolling through Instagram would come in dead last. I can’t recall a time I actually felt joy post-appsturbation, and yet, the social media platform’s built-in activity monitor tells me I spend an average of 32 minutes each day idly liking handstand videos, quasi-inspirational quotes, and color-coordinated stacks of books. My digital relationship is far from perfect, but lately, I’ve found one small way to reclaim the habit for myself: interacting with the ads rather than swiping past them at warp speed. I know, I know—sounds bananas. But I have a thesis statement and everything, so please allow me to present my unofficial TED Talk about reclaiming targeted ads to bolster digital autonomy. By now, you’ve probably noticed that Instagram’s new M.O. involves placing an ad between every two or three posts on your feed. According to The New York Times, the platform first announced its plans to commercialize feeds back in 2015, but based on my personal non-scientific experience, the promos have hit an all time high in just the last few months. I mean, I can’t even read about my favorite foodstagramer’s buckwheat waffle recipe without also having earrings, a crystal-shaped water bottle, and hair-growth vitamins clogging up my scroll. So a few week’s ago, when Instagram’s algorithm dared to slide a $1200 gym bag (something I personally have never dreamed of affording) into my social check-in, I decided on
Avocado’s health benefits make them well-worth the hype, says this top dietitian
April 04, 2019 at 02:55PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5D6Xr1gg7c] There are only three things absolutely certain in life: death, taxes, and the fact that everyone will always love avocados. The beloved healthy fruit, for better or for worse, has even moved off our plates to make its mark on pop culture as wall art, athleisure, and pool floats. But nutrition-wise, are avocados really worthy of the over-the-top praise and devotion we give them? That’s the question registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, tackles in the inaugural episode of Well+Good’s new YouTube series, You Versus Food. The goal? To give a no-B.S. nutritional breakdown on the most popular food and drink trends. Because let’s face it: Between adaptogens, collagen, and whatever the latest trendy eating plan is, living your healthiest life can get pretty baffling. So, for those of us who are forgoing mortgages in favor of more avo toast, here’s what you need to know about the beloved fruit. What exactly are the benefits of avocados? A “fun” fact: the proper serving size of an avocado is actually 1/3 of the fruit. Which doesn’t sound like much, TBH. But that small portion actually contains a lot of nutrients, per the USDA: Calories: 80 Fat: 7 grams Protein: 1 gram Carbohydrates: 4 grams Sugar: 0.3 grams Fiber: 3 grams Beyond the nutritional breakdown, avocados have a ton of benefits for you health. The short list: 1. They’re high in healthy fats. Specifically, monounsaturated fats, Beckerman says. “Research has shown that eating an avocado can actually improve your cholesterol,”
How A Stressful Childhood Can Impact Your Hormone Levels In The Long Run
April 04, 2019 at 01:26PM Here’s how to lower your cortisol levels. Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
Jessamyn Stanley is launching an at-home yoga app—here’s why that’s important
April 04, 2019 at 01:20PM by CWC Jessamyn Stanley has long been walking, talking, forearm-standing proof that every damn body is a yoga body. Her Instagram feed is filled with photos of her contorting into pose after pose in her underwear. Her “fat, black, flexible body,” as she calls it, is a source of inspiration for those who have been traditionally underrepresented in yoga and fitness. Recently, she decided to further her mission by introducing a digital fitness app. Stanley tells me her followers would often reach out to say that they’d been inspired by her practice, but didn’t feel comfortable entering a studio. With today’s launch of The Underbelly, an app Stanley named after “the part [of your body] that you want to hide from other people, but is actually your strength,” she’s created an inclusive place for her community to come together to practice yoga. “Nothing has been about just pure, straight-up body-pos wellness. Not about, what is your body going to look like at the end of this process, but what’s going to happen to you on the inside.” —Jessamyn Stanley “I wanted to make a space that was totally different from all other digital yoga offerings, because I felt like everything up to this point was just so fitness-based,” Stanley tells me. “Nothing has been about just pure, straight-up body-pos wellness. Not about, what is your body going to look like at the end of this process, but what’s going to happen to you on the
For a longer life, adding healthy foods is more important than cutting anything out
April 04, 2019 at 01:14PM by CWC The vast majority of eating plans revolve around striking certain foods from the menu. No sugar, no processed foods, no foods at all after 8 p.m., and on, and on (and on). But according to a 27-year worldwide diet analysis recently published in the journal Lancet, restricting the ingredients on our plates isn’t nearly as important as making sure that whole grains, fruit, fiber, healthy fats, and veggies are there in the first place. To reach this conclusion, CNN reports that lead study researcher Ashkan Afshin, MD, assistant professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, studied the effect of 15 dietary risk factors on both disability and death. His team analyzed diets high in foods linked with poor health—like red meat, sugar, trans-fats, and salt—alongside those with sparse amounts of wholesome foods. The results concluded that those “bad for you foods” (aside from salt) actually ranked towards the bottom of the risk factors. But here’s the real kicker: Of the top three nutrition-related deaths in the year 2017, two were a result of not eating enough of a certain food group. Namely, people were majorly under-eating whole grains and fruit. Of the top three nutrition-related deaths in the year 2017, two were a result of not eating enough of a certain food group. Namely, people were majorly under-eating whole grains and fruit. High risk factors identified in the analysis also varied greatly depending on geographical location. In America and
The psychological reason why indulging your cravings is usually a good thing
April 04, 2019 at 12:39PM by CWC Raise your hand if you’ve ever started a healthy food kick (hooray for green smoothies and grain bowls!)…only to start desperately missing your favorite treats by like, day three? The struggle is so, so real. And yes, it’s true that food cravings can be your body telling you that you need to get more sleep, or that it needs more salt post-workout. But sometimes you just need some cheesecake, or an order of fries, you know? That’s where healthy eating gets tricky—because while it’s tempting to completely cut out “bad” foods, or replace them with healthier dupes, those actually are not successful strategies for most people. What’s more, resisting the foods you crave can become not just an exercise in willpower but a full-on distraction from other things in your life. In order to find that happy medium between eating what you love and eating a healthy, well-rounded diet, experts have a somewhat counterintuitive suggestion: indulge that craving. It’s not news that taking a balanced approach to healthy eating is more sustainable than following strict food rules. Sure, some foods might be more nutritious than others, but trying to avoid foods you think are “bad” and only eat “good” foods isn’t likely to make you healthier overall. “When you tell yourself something is off limits, you’re likely to think about it more often,” says Judith Matz, LCSW, co-author of The Diet Survivor’s Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance and Self-Care. You know how
Medicine ball moves are the most overlooked way to fire up your entire body
April 04, 2019 at 12:01PM by CWC There’s that one corner in the gym, somewhere between the mats and the weights, that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. You know the one I’m talking about—where the medicine balls all just sort of hang out together until, once in a blue moon, some adventurous soul comes over and takes one out for a test drive. But while they may not seem as sexy and exciting as the cardio equipment, or as easy to grab-and-go as the weights, medicine balls should not be overlooked when it comes to getting in a full-body workout. Sure, you’re probably familiar with slams (a trainer favorite in seemingly every modality), but what you may not realize is that there are literally hundreds of other ways to feel the medicine ball burn from your head—or at least, shoulders—to your toes. “Using a medicine ball provides countless uses that can be used to increase muscular stretch, endurance, and power,” says Tony Vacharasanee, a trainer at NYC’s BodySpaceFitnes. “They can be thrown, caught, and used to provide resistance for many movements, in all three planes of motion, and at varying speeds.” He also notes that both beginners and experts can benefit from their versatility. “Developing explosive power is one of the unique benefits of using medicine balls since maximal movement speed is critical to increasing power capabilities,” he says. “Medicine balls are great for this since they allow movements to occur as explosively as possible without the need