Year: 2019

February 14, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I have a confession to make: This is the first Valentine’s Day in a decade that I’m totally, completely, no-prospects-in-sight single. Last summer, I finally put the nail in the coffin of a decade-long on-and-off relationship and called it quits for good. While spending V-day single doesn’t quite feel natural to me (hey, I’m a creature of habit, and I was coupled up for the last 10 of ’em), I’ve resolved to make the day perfect for celebrating the most important person in my life: myself. I consulted dietitians, fitness experts, and health coaches, to identify the best way to spend a solo Valentine’s Day. To host your own self-love fest, party of one, check out all the intel below. 1. Start your day with some mindfulness A mindfulness practice can manifest the feelings of love and support you want to channel. “A meditation class can be a great way to foster gratitude, openness, and love on Valentine’s Day—not get bogged down by feelings of loneliness or scarcity,” says healthy-lifestyle expert Natasha Uspensky. If you prefer to preserve your homebody status, just try starting the day with a few deep breaths and positive intentions. Doing so can help you channel feelings of love and support for yourself. 2. Eat mood-boosting foods One way to reclaim Valentine’s Day is to cook for yourself at home. “As far as I’m concerned, who would even want to go out for an overpriced, gimmicky meal?” says registered dietitian Lauren

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February 14, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC If there’s one product in my makeup bag that makes me giddy and excited, it’s brow gel. To me, slicking down my arches is like putting on a perfect structured blazer—only, you know, on my face. Brows have the ability to frame the entire complexion in a matter of swipes, which is why I wanted to hunt down the best brow gels out there. Brow gels, kind of like mascara, differ in color, wand size, brush type, texture, and consistency. “The main thing with brow gels is getting a good brush and finding the right tone to match your hair color,” says Jimena Garcia, bicoastal brow pro. “Depending on the consistency, it can goop up, and it can be messy, so finding a consistency for you is key.” Just as with hair types, your brows, too, can differ in texture. “If you have thick, coarse hair, it’s really nice to have a softer gel, and if you have thin hair, it’s good to go with a thicker consistency,” says Garcia. “You also want to look for a really small brush.” As far as color goes, it’s more about the look you’re going for. If you want a bolder brow, Garcia says to go with a shade darker than your actual hair color. In terms of your style, Garcia says everyone should brush all of the brow hairs up. “Brushing them up makes them look thicker, and it automatically creates a wider brow. When you

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February 14, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Love is in the air, and whether you’re single or partnered, spiritual empowerment coach Kelsey Patel has sage advice: Instead of seeking romance, seek freedom. Here, the Well+Good Council member explains the four-step process to opening your heart in a healthy, fulfilling, self-affirming way. You’ve heard it every single year for likely as long as you can remember. February is the month of love, Valentine’s Day, candy and chocolate, cards to classmates, red roses, extra-expensive February 14 dinners—and now, in the time of the wellness boom, everyone talking about self-love. So while you’re in the midst of all the highs, the lows, and those delicious magnetic and heart-opening vibes, I’d like to offer a fresh perspective—looking beneath and behind the bliss and romanticism to find something deeper and perhaps more expansive than even the high-vibe feeling that love brings. Freedom. Pure, open, expansive, and joyful freedom. In freedom lies your deepest truth: awareness of who you really are and what you truly desire. From that place of connection, you are able to express an even deeper form of love. Love to yourself, love into your work, love to the ones who you choose because you are free. How can you open your heart wide and create a life you imagine—a life of love? How else can you allow yourself to be free? So take a moment this February to find out where in your life you feel free, where you may feel stuck,

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February 13, 2019 at 02:26PM by CWC The menu of benefits that comes with a workout is delectable: a boost in mental health, increase in energy and focus, improved sleep and sex…I could go on. But for many people, the #sixpack remains the pinnacle of fitness goals—and it has a hashtag with over 10 million posts to prove it. But what do visible abs actually say about someone’s health or fitness level? Not a whole lot, says Jessica Ash, a functional clinical nutritionist and certified personal trainer. She points out that the pursuit of a six pack can be a healthy one for some; but for other body types, it can signify that their diets are too restrictive, workouts that are too aggressive, or that their overall expectations are unrealistic. “I’m not demonizing having abs at all, but it’s important to know the facts and that everyone’s a little bit different,” says Ash. That’s because healthy recommendations for body fat in women tend to fall between 20 to 25 percent, while engineering a visible six pack requires dropping those body fat percentages down to somewhere between 16 to 19 percent (or lower), according to many trainers. Ash says that six-percent drop can bring on some unwanted side effects in women, including hormonal imbalances, which can cause amenorrhea (missed periods). “This is what you should think about before you work your butt off to try to attain that maybe unrealistic goal,” she advises. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with wanting to have a strong core. (A strong

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