December 27, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC While navigating a breakup with a long-term serious partner earlier this year, I found myself with a lot of spare time on my hands, and a lot of feelings to sort through. That’s when I noticed myself reaching out to friends I earnestly love despite having not spent so much time with them during the length of my since broken relationship. This act of a rekindling friendship after a breakup felt natural, but also dirty and opportunistic—I couldn’t figure out quite why. In this era of solo everything, from solo travel and solo working to solo sex (okay the last one is just masturbation, but still), it can be tough to admit that you need someone…especially if that’s someone you ditched before you met whats-their-face. But according to psychotherapist and relationship counselor Larry Letich, LCSW, this isn’t the marker of a fair-weather friend but rather someone whose basic survival instincts are kicking in. “Humans are social creatures. For all of the talk about being ‘self-sufficient,’ we really aren’t evolutionarily designed to survive alone.” —Larry Letich, LCSW “Humans are social creatures,” says Letich. “For all of the talk about being ‘self-sufficient,’ we really aren’t evolutionarily designed to survive alone. Back a couple of thousand centuries ago, to be alone and cut off from everyone else meant a quick death, pure and simple. The fact that we don’t have to worry about saber-toothed tigers, and we get our food from a supermarket down the block doesn’t change
Year: 2019
The 3-part skin-care equation that will make stressed-out skin a thing of the past
December 27, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Stress. It’s happening all the time to our skin whether we like it or not. Internally, we’re dealing with mountains of modern-day mayhem that sends stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol soaring. Externally, we’re confronted with environmental aggressors such as UV exposure and pollution that can take a toll on our complexions. And when you add all of this up, you’re often left with breakouts, redness, and an overall compromised skin barrier. When you’re stressed internally, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. “It goes back to when human beings were living in prehistoric times,” says Dennis Gross, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, a brand that just released a trio of skin-care products formulated for stressed-out complexions. “It wasn’t about anything more than survival, so when faced with animals like a saber-toothed tiger, they’d react with the fight-or-flight response. It’s the same in the modern day. When you get an email from your boss, you get increased elevations of adrenaline and cortisol.” With these two stress hormones pumping throughout your body, certain physiological things happen. “You have to ration your blood flow, so you’d have to send more blood to your heart so it can pump faster, more blood to your lungs so that they can expand, and more blood to your brain so you can make split-second decisions,” says Dr. Gross. Because these reactions are happening to keep your vital organs operating at their optimal function, your
The only thing better than these pigmentation-correcting serums is Fraxel
December 27, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC Hyperpigmentation can come from any number of things: acne, rashes, bug bites—you name it. If you’re willing to drop a few thousand dollars on Fraxel Skin Resurfacing Treatment, you can treat hyperpigmentation at your dermatologist’s office. But if you’re just not ready for that kind of investment, a few hyperpigmentation serums are the next best thing. “Pigment-fighting serums block abnormal pigment production or enhance cell turnover to shed pigment,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “Ingredients like vitamin C, Kojic acid, arbutin, and licorice root extract all work in the same pathway of pigment production. Alpha hydroxy acids and ingredients like retinol enhance cell turnover.” Below, Dr. Zeichner offers up his go-to hyperpigmentation serums. Keep this one timing note in mind, though: “I usually recommend antioxidants and other pigment blocking ingredients in the morning and products that enhance cell turnover in the evening before bed,” he says. Make sure you’re applying your ingredients-of-choice at a suitable time. The 3 hyperpigmentation serums to add to your beauty shelf, stat Photo: Ghost Democracy 1. GHOST DEMOCRACY LIGHTBULB VITAMIN C SERUM, $34 “Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that interferes with excess production,” says Dr. Zeichner. “It also calms inflammation in the skin to help right now and even skin tone.” Photo: Target 2. AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT MAXGLOW INFUSION DROPS SERUM, $18 “Soy extract brightens excess pigmentation and even skin tone,” says Dr. Zeichner. And the best news of all? You can buy this pick at the
Can a hot toddy actually help you feel better when you’re sick?
December 27, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC When you’re stuck in bed coughing up a lung, you’ll basically agree to drink any potion that promises an instant cure. And while hot toddies have long been a feel-good wintry cocktail of choice, certain folks claim it helps them feel better when they’re sick, too. But is there any truth to their immune-boosting benefits? Yes and no. First, the good news: a hot toddy, made of whiskey, water, honey, and sometimes add-ons like cinnamon, cloves and lemon, does contain some beneficial ingredients. Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties, the scent of lemon has been proven to boost mood (which we can all use when we can only breathe out of one nostril), and honey has a soothing effect on a sore throat and cough, according to Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. Research also finds honey helpful in killing viruses and bacterial pathogens. Now for the bad news: The thing is that you shouldn’t need to use alcohol as a vehicle for consuming these beneficial ingredients since it can be dehydrating, according to Taub-Dix, and thus prolong your illness—especially if you’re sweating profusely with a fever, or losing lots of liquids from a bout of vomiting and diarrhea. And while alcohol can technically help you fall asleep faster, you might have trouble staying asleep, according to Taub-Dix. While whiskey might aid in digestion (hence your grandfather’s post-dinner whiskey on
Real talk: How worried should I be about histamines in food?
December 27, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC When I think about histamines, I think about anti-histamines, AKA OTC allergy meds, and how itchy my face gets whenever I’m around my aunt’s cats. But histamine in food? That has never crossed my mind. Or, at least, it didn’t until an appointment with a naturopathic doctor revealed that I had high levels of histamine in my blood—and that my healthy diet was apparently chock-full with high-histamine foods. Confused? Yeah, so was I. But apparently there’s more to histamines than pet dander and pollen—and some of us may need to tweak our daily menu to keep from feeling itchy and puffy 24/7. What are histamines? Let’s back up for a sec: “Histamines are a compound naturally produced by the body—mostly by the immune system—in response to injury or allergic reaction,” explains Rebekah Blakely, RDN, dietitian for The Vitamin Shoppe. You know how pollen in the springtime makes your nose run and your eyes itch? Those symptoms are caused by histamines at work, trying to rid your body of the pollen. Histamines can increase blood flow, heart rate, and contractions in the lungs and digestive tract, Blakely says. The result: symptoms like runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, sinus congestion, wheezing, or stomach cramps we often associate with allergies. When you pop an OTC anti-histamine, you essentially block these annoying—but potentially necessary—effects. Histamines have other jobs in the body, too. “They communicate with the brain and support digestion, by triggering the release of stomach
Supersets can help you build strength quickly—as long as you’re doing them correctly
December 27, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC My brain basically short-circuits when faced with too many decisions, which is always what happens when I try to come up with exercises to do on my own at the gym. I need someone to tell me what to do, so I can turn that part of my brain off, which is why I enjoy group classes. When left to my own devices at the gym, I typically hop on the treadmill and just go for a run. But when one of my friends mentioned supersets, my interest was piqued. (The treadmill gets boring.) So what is a superset? And how is it different than circuit training? I asked Corey Phelps, NASM-CPT, to explain. “A superset is two strength exercises performed back to back with no rest in between,” Phelps says. Circuit training can contain both strength and cardio moves, and it combines more than two exercises, she says. “Supersets are great for so many reasons, specifically, supersets are beneficial to building muscle and strength quickly. This happens by overloading the muscles and creating greater intensity. Another great benefit is they save tons of time… perfect for someone on a time crunch. Lunch workout anyone?” she says. When deciding which two exercises to pair together, it’s important to look at your goals, Phelps says. Are you looking for a full-body workout? Or do you want to target a specific area? “If you are trying to maximize time for a total body workout then
This hurts-so-good plank variation works every muscle in your core in one minute flat
December 26, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC There’s no question that plain ol’ planks are perfectly great for working your core muscles. But if you want to kick things up a notch and tack stability and oblique work into the mix, take a cue from Jiu Jitsu and try a “rolling plank.” The rolling—or side-to-side—plank involves switching between a left and right side planks with a brief forearm plank in between (whew). Combining the three poses together into one fluid movement works all of the muscles in your core and challenges your stability, and according Noah Neiman, co-founder of Rumble Boxing, it’s the hardest plank variation out there “When we create structural instability through movement, it forces our core to compensate to protect our spine,” he says, explaining that the main purpose of your core in general is to keep your spine safe. “The rolling plank creates a ton of instability, as keeping our core muscles engaged through the movement helps create strength in those muscles.” So in addition to lighting your abs on fire, the rolling plank is also a great option after a long day of desk sitting. To do the move properly, begin in a forearm plank with your hips down, abs tight and engaged, and your spine in neutral. Then roll into one side plank with your top arm raised straight into the air, feet stacked on top of each other (or staggered for better balance) and your hips raised up. Hold at the top, roll
I’m a dermatologist and this is exactly how many steps should be in your skin-care routine
December 26, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDP4SIOAIeA] Looking at the bottle-heavy shelfies that dominate Instagram, it’s easy to believe that, when it comes to skin care, more is more. But according to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, that’s not necessarily true. In fact, all you need for an effective facial regimen is six steps—three in the morning and three at night—which means you’re about to get a whole lot of space cleared up on those bathroom shelves. Derms will tell you that using too many product at once can actually compromise your skin barrier, and ultimately lead to issues like dryness and acne. So in order to keep skin healthy, you really want to make sure you’re slathering on the right products, and nothing more. The best way to do this, says Dr. Gohara, is to think of your routine as being “protective” in the morning and “restorative” at night, and choosing products that will help achieve those goals. First things first, you’re going to want to start with a cleanser in both the a.m. and in the p.m. to clear away any grease and grime from your skin. In the morning, you’ll want to apply products that will stave off environmental damage from things like pollution and UV rays, so antioxidants and SPF are key. At night, it’s all about rebuilding and nourishing your skin barrier, which means you should reach for ingredients that stimulate collagen and contain skin-similar lipids to help support the barrier. To find out which
The 5 best productivity tips we’ve learned in the past decade to get you through 2020 (and beyond)
December 26, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC As I write this, I’m fighting the urge to take advantage of one of the post-eggnog holiday sales and marathon-watch the latest season of You. In other words, my productivity isn’t exactly spiking at the moment and I’m not alone. Research shows that people seriously lose their ability to do, well, most things in the very first month of the year. A 2017 study found that come January only 7.2 percent of workers reported completing most of their tasks. And, like, same. So to make sure you start the decade off on a productive foot, we’ve rounded up the very best productivity tips we’ve collected over the past 10 years. The productivity tips that are so good, we’re taking them into 2020 1. Use GMAIL’S “SCHEDULED SENDING” FEATURE Good productivity starts with your inbox. If you’re hesitating about sending an email (“I just want to read it one more time!”), then this feature ensures you don’t get too trigger-happy. Simply schedule it for tomorrow and let it haunt you overnight. 2. complain at work (no, really) This advice may run counter to the usual “be positive” messaging that’s par for the course these days, but complaining at work can actually work wonders for your productivity. A study published in the journal Organization Studies loooked at the habits of physicians and nurses to pharmacists and bereavement counselors—for longer than a year and found that “griping” at work can actually improve your mental health and your overall
An organizational expert shares how to do a decade detox for 2020
December 26, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC You know how when you get back from a vacation, you tend to not unpack your baggage? It feels so overwhelming that you leave all those unwashed, rolled up clothes in there for what feels like an eternity. That’s how I feel with 2020 approaching; it is a new decade, I have 10 years worth of baggage to unpack, and I don’t even know where to start. “New Year, New Me” is a fallacy that we embrace every year. With a new decade, though, we factually are new people weighed down by a lot of emotional and literal clutter. I started my decade as a senior in high school, and there are certain things like neon yellow bangs and the dream of being a lingerie designer that I’ve given up. It’s the, you know, rest of it all that I’m struggling with. And if you’ve had a significant 10 year transit, you’re probably looking to shed some of your baggage too. Luckily we were able to sit down with organizational expert Patty Morrissey, who gave us the rundown on how to do a successful decade review and cleanse. First, center yourself and envision the major plot points in the movie of your decade “I use a framework that’s modeled after the Ignition spiritual exercises, called the Jesuit Examen, it’s really a process of first getting centered, becoming still with your breath,” Morrissey says. “They practice it on a daily basis, but I like to practice it on bigger time