March 13, 2019 at 11:53AM by CWC Seasonal allergies are the worst. At first, you’re overjoyed to see all the greenery popping up after a long winter. Then the next thing you know, your eyes are red, your nose is runny, and—worst of all—you’re sneezing 24/7. So, you grab your go-to antihistamine to help relieve those symptoms. But what is the best time to take allergy meds for maximum effectiveness? Most people don’t pop that pill until they’re already dragging through their morning. That’s why experts say you should actually be taking your antihistamines before you go to bed at night. “Antihistamines take at least 30 minutes to work, and the newer, long-acting ones will last you 24 hours, so you’ll be covered until the next day. They work best when they’re already in your system, so the night before is most efficacious,” says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist/immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network. “Since some antihistamines make you drowsy, it’s actually best to take them before bedtime.” Bonus: Taking them ahead of time means you’ll rise just in time for them to reach the prime allergy-fighting zone. “Once-daily antihistamines reach their peak efficacy 8 to 12 hours after you take them, so using them at dinnertime or before bed means better control of your daytime symptoms,” says Yoon Mi Kim, DO, an allergy and immunology specialist for Geisinger. As long as you’re consistent and try to take your meds prior to exposure, Dr. Parikh says any time will work. But for anyone
Year: 2019
7 great dating questions to ask your queer friend that aren’t their partner’s gender
March 13, 2019 at 11:19AM by CWC After a taking a dating sabbatical, I recently re-entered the scene. My phone now has a whole folder of dating apps, and I’ve been sliding into DMs “Yo Gotti”-style. I’ve had some interesting experiences that’ll surely make for hilarious stories, and I’ve met some serious babes. But as a queer woman playing the field, it seems that from the outside looking in, the most interesting aspect of my romantic pursuits is their gender identification. And since that couldn’t be farther from the truth in reality, it would be great if people would stop engaging this line of inquiry. Just the other night, a friend of mine said, “The best part of GK dating again is that every time she starts talking to someone new, we get to have a gender reveal party! Is it a boy or a girl?” And I’m not the only queer person who’s had this experience. “The questions are always about whether they’re a man or woman. It’s the biggest eye roll,” says Gigi Engle, a certified sex coach and educator for inclusive dating platform O.school. And honestly, as long as I’m happy, what difference should gender identity make? Furthermore, binary language limits gender to male or female excludes trans, gender nonconforming, gender-fluid, gender-variant, agender, and bigender people. With that in mind, I asked queer peers to share questions they actually like fielding about their new flings. So even if, for whatever reason, the top question you want to ask a queer
“How sharing old pictures of myself changed how I felt about my chronic illness”
March 13, 2019 at 10:23AM by CWC Instagram has a way of making you feel like you really know someone. Like, really know them. As a chronic illness advocate—I was diagnosed with a severe case of psoriasis at the age of 10 and with a pretty aggressive case of psoriatic arthritis at the age of 19 (a form of arthritis that includes flareups of red, scaly patches on the skin along with joint pain and inflammation)—social media is a way for me to connect with others who might be in the trenches of their own darkness. I’ve been talking about the importance of self-care and self-love long before it was “cool.” I talked loud and often about my hard times of being stuck in bed and in severe pain, feeling like I was missing out on life. I talked about the endless search for a “cure.” I talked about the struggle of loving yourself when your body was rebelling against you, and trying to feel beautiful when your skin was red, flaking, and covered in scars. But part of me still felt like some people didn’t quite believe I knew what it was like to be in chronic pain. It’s one thing to talk about it. It’s another to give an intimate glimpse, to show the physical proof of that pain. And there was one particular experience that I kept secret, completely hidden away. I was ashamed to show that part of myself. I kept waiting for the perfect moment to reveal
You can take UC Berkeley’s “Science of Happiness” class for exactly zero dollars
March 13, 2019 at 09:49AM by CWC The nature of happiness is a subject great minds have been noodling over for centuries. Intellectual luminaries, like Plato, Edith Wharton, and Pharrell Williams, have each dedicated some brain power to cultivating the secret spice of life we all so desire. We still don’t have a cut-and-dry equation for metamorphosing into Suzie Sunshine at will, but with a free online class entitled “The Science of Happiness,” the University of California, Berkeley, grants access to students seeking humanity’s most-coveted emotion. In a eight-week program, instructed by two of the Berkeley’s leading positive psychology experts, students learn: 1. What happiness is (insert existential crisis here). 2. How to cultivate the feeling in both yourself and others. 3. The ingredients for living a fulfilling life. 4. The mental habits of utterly gleeful people. “We all want to be happy, and there are countless ideas about what happiness is and how we can get some,” write the instructors in the course description. “But not many of those ideas are based on science. That’s where this course comes in.” Upon signing up to audit Berkeley’s class (you also have the option of receiving an official certificate for $49), you’ll immediately be given access to lesson plans titled things like “Can Money Buy Happiness?” and “The Science of Forgiveness.” Videos, exams, and (gah!) homework lend to the academic rigor and feeling of an IRL course. For skeptics out there, the course is backed by scientific evidence. A weekly survey sent to more than
Why right now is the best time to work through your petty grudges
March 13, 2019 at 08:56AM by CWC My dad is a big fan of celebrations. He says if people aren’t gathering for a wedding, a graduation, or a birthday, it’s a funeral. “At funerals, people cry and say ‘we should get together,’” he says. “And then the next time they see each other is at another one of these things.” I didn’t understand this fully until I recently lost an estranged friend to suicide, an experience that left me with mountains of grief and pain resulting from never having let go of certain stupid grudges. Our relationship was complicated, but the lies about ex-boyfriends, a college-era love triangle, and fights about “accidentally” stolen shirts all felt so minuscule and stupid once she passed. Until I was tasked with navigating this situation of not even being able to forgive someone, I had lived by the millennial credo of “cut out all toxic people”—and that’s how she felt to me in the context of my reality. But had I known that reality were about to shift? I don’t know. And I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with these feelings. Thankfully, Virginia A. Simpson, PhD, a California-based bereavement-care specialist with over 30 years experience in the field of death, is more knowledgable than I am. With her insight, I began my healing process of decrypting my grief, learning how to reach out when it’s hard, and understanding why right now is the best time to let go of petty grudges. Why grief
Let’s mix things up with this high-protein alternative to avocado toast
March 13, 2019 at 08:30AM by CWC I’m going to say something pretty controversial: I’m not a huge fan of avocado toast. I love the idea, but every time I eat toast with smashed avocado I can’t help but wish it was smothered instead with peanut butter and honey. But maybe that’s just because I’ve been choosing the wrong green topping. Lauren Kirchmaier, the plant-based blogger behind Flora & Vino, recently shared a recipe for pea toast that’s dropping jaws. Peas masquerading as avocado?! I’m into it. “If you’re a little tired of hummus and nut butter and avocado, this spontaneous spread is just what you need to mix it up,” she writes on Instagram. And a super healthy one at that. While avocados bring on the healthy fats, one cup of green peas contains 8 grams of protein as well as 7 grams of fiber and plenty of vitamin C. View this post on Instagram Green is the name of the game this week, starting with this LEMON-Y SMASHED PEA TOAST that’s one of my favorites for spring. Peas on toast?! Yes, peas. If you’re a little tired of hummus and nut butter and avocado, this spontaneous spread is just what you need to mix it up. This pea smash is similar to hummus in its recipe with a tangy fresh lemon & herb kick! If you’re not into toast, try it on your favorite crackers, veggies, or veggie chips instead! – Here’s what you need: frozen green peas runny
Learn to unwind like Simone Biles (because you totally deserve a gold medal for crushing that workout)
March 13, 2019 at 08:14AM by CWC Clear your calendar. The summer Olympics will be here before you know it. In the meantime, between press junkets and rigorous workouts, athletes ramping up for an opportunity to win Olympic gold are also considering the importance of cooling down. A prime example of elite athleticism, gymnast Simone Biles, who turns 21 on March 14, is focused on thoughtful recovery as she prepares for Tokyo 2020. I caught up with Biles in Paris at the unveiling of the Women’s World Cup national team soccer kits. The new uniforms will dot the field when the tournament returns this summer. As a gymnast, Biles is united with the athletes of all types on the heels of a landmark women-driven Nike Just Do It campaign. (Seriously, you need to watch it because it will give you all the feels). “It was very empowering to see all the ladies out there taking such strong strides and having confidence—even when we’re speaking out—knowing that we can do anything that the male athletes can do and more,” Biles tells me. Biles’ efforts to change the sport of gymnastics are equally remarkable. She earned four gold medals and a single bronze at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janiero. She’s since proved unstoppable, performing never-been-done-before vaults and can’t-believe-your-eyes tumbling routines. Her workouts are no joke and neither is her recovery routine. “I love doing massages because it’s also relaxing and usually I fall asleep,” says Biles. And while a massage might
The Best New Healthy Foods Hitting Grocery Shelves This Year
March 13, 2019 at 07:34AM Cookies and cream yogurt, oat milk ice cream, healthy hard shell tacos, and more! Continue Reading… Author Liz Moody | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
5 homemade chai tea recipes for an immunity-boosting, gut-friendly treat
March 13, 2019 at 06:14AM by CWC When it comes to a tea full of flavor and spice, chai is the tried-and-true go-to. Traditional to India, chai tea is a black tea brewed with a mixture of spices—most commonly cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black peppercorn, and ginger. Black tea on its own is good for your gut, metabolism, and hormones, but including these other spices ups the health factor even more. Ginger, for example, is also good for digestion, and cardamom has some anti-inflammatory properties. Another perk of chai tea is that the recipe is adaptable, depending on your preferences. Craving something creamy? Make it with almond milk instead of water. Too hot out for a steaming cup? You can still reap all the benefits while having it iced. The options are endless—making homemade chai tea the way to go if you’re looking for a new go-to drink. Check out these five delicious ways to make homemade chai tea. Photo: Gimme Some Oven 1. Classic homemade chai tea If you’re looking for a homemade chai tea recipe that will cover all your bases, Gimme Some Oven blogger Ali Ehbright has you covered. Her recipe works whether you’re having your chai tea iced, hot, or want it in concentrate form so you can work it into other recipes. (Chai “nice cream” anyone?) Besides the usual spice suspects like cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, and ginger, she also adds vanilla bean, nutmeg, and allspice. Photo: My New Roots 2. Masala chai tea My New
This plant-based chocolate cookie dough is so good you can eat it right off the spoon
March 13, 2019 at 05:39AM by CWC In my kitchen, a fresh batch of cookie dough rarely makes it into the oven unscathed. All it takes is a nibble and I’m totally hooked, often polishing off a sizable chunk of would-be baked goods in their truest form—totally raw. Unfortunately, as you know, it’s not safe to eat most raw cookie doughs. And if you’re constantly pushing your luck, just waiting for foodborne illness to strike, we’ve got a raw cookie dough recipe that’s meant to be devoured with a spoon. Food blogger Jordan Younger‘s dreamy cookie dough recipe is totally vegan and sos-free (no salt, oil, or sugar!). The best part is that you can safely eat it right off the spoon. Or, you know, bake it if that’s your thing. “This cookie dough is unreal. If you leave it in the fridge for about an hour before you eat it, it firms up and tastes even more like the O.G. cookie dough we all grew up eating,” says the writer behind The Balanced Blonde. “It’s actually so healthy you can eat it for breakfast.” Want to try Younger’s recipe for yourself? Here’s how to create the wholesome treat in minutes. Breakfast Cookie Dough Ingredients: 1 cup chickpeas 1/2 cup tahini 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup pitted dates 1/4 cup water to blend 1/4 cup carob powder 2 Tbsp chopped sugar-free dark chocolate Preparation: 1. Blend all ingredients except for the dark chocolate, then fold in the chocolate at the end. 2. Add more