January 17, 2019 at 09:25AM by CWC Whether I’m looking to spice up my sushi dinner or whip up an anti-inflammatory peach smoothie, chances are you’ll find me reaching for the ginger. The versatile spice works well with basically any kind of food, from spicy, savory Indian cuisine to drinks and desserts with a subtle bite (hello, gingerbread). Of course, ginger also has a long list of health benefits, too. It promotes overall health and vitality when used regularly, says Rachel Gargiulo, a certified nutrition consultant. “Besides the obvious perks of relieving nausea and digestive upset, ginger also has a plethora of medicinal properties, such as fighting the flu and the common cold, combatting pain, and lowering blood sugar levels,” she says. The big downside of ginger: It’s such a pain to use on the reg. Fresh ginger tastes incredible, but when was the last time you peeled one? It’s a huge time suck. And since most recipes don’t call for more than a few tablespoons at a time (far less than what’s in a typical root), it’s really easy to waste. Lucky for you, there is a culinary trick—that is, blending up a batch of ginger paste—that makes cooking with ginger super simple. Why you should make and store your own ginger paste Ginger paste sounds fancy, but it’s just fresh ginger root that’s been ground up and mixed with oil to form a paste. It only takes a few minutes to mix up a fresh batch at home (more
Year: 2019
I finally found a dry-brushing alternative that doesn’t feel like torture
January 17, 2019 at 07:50AM by CWC As a wellness journalist, I often hear experts talk about the importance of regularly stimulating the lymphatic system—the network of lymph nodes, fluid, and vessels that play a crucial role in our immunity and our body’s detox processes. And as much as I want to attend to my lymphatic health, the truth is that most at-home treatments that address it are straight-up unpleasant. Take dry-brushing, for example. The Cleveland Clinic hails it for promoting lymph flow and drainage, but it huuuurts. Or maybe that’s just my non-existent pain tolerance talking. Alternating between hot and cold water in the shower (AKA “contrast showering“) is another anecdotal technique for keeping your lymph moving, and yet this, too, feels rather torturous. Oh, and I got really excited when a fitness expert told me that rebounding on a trampoline is great for your lymphatic health, so I ran out and bought a mini-tramp. Sadly, I found out that I get motion sickness after only a few minutes of bouncing—and there’s not a ton of evidence to show it does anything for your lymphatic health anyway. So when I received an email about Olio Maestro ($249)—a new body-care line that’s said to give your lymphatic system a workout while reducing cellulite—I was instantly intrigued. I didn’t care so much about the second part, since I am very much on board with the cellulite acceptance movement, but a painless alternative to dry-brushing that supposedly takes no more effort than slathering
This mattress promised the best sleep ever, so of course, I had to try it
January 17, 2019 at 07:50AM by CWC Fun fact: I can fall asleep anywhere—on a plane, on a train, on a stack of (kid-sized) flour bags. I credit this particular gift to my growing up with parents who were franchisees of a popular coffee-and-doughnut chain—I spent a lot of time hanging, err, napping, in the back of stores. A couple of decades later, I’m still able to doze off without delay. That’s why I never gave my sleep pad, an ultra-soft and growingly lumpy Euro-top mattress nicknamed The Cloud Bed, much thought. For nearly five years, The Cloud Bed has provided me and my boo an idyllic dough-like surface for reading, watching horror movies, and snoozing in heavy doses. But when news reached my inbox that home-goods darling Parachute had plans to launch a top-of-the-line mattress (I’m talking $1,299–$2,199) after receiving thousands of customer requests for mattress recommendations, I knew I had to try it. That’s how I ended up swapping my trusty sack for an eco-friendly mattress, made to order in the U.S.—without adhesives or chemicals—to match my oft-washed linen sheets. As the just-delivered mattress unfurled on my bed frame, the first thing I noticed was the wool pom-poms garnishing the creamy, 100-percent cotton upholstery—a sign of a hand-tufted bed, according to Google. FYI: Tufts are the fabric threads skillfully inserted by hand into the foam-free mattress to hold its inner layers in place, helping maintain its uniform shape over many years of sleep. My first few nights of slumber
Tired And Moody All The Time? You Might Have This Surprising Condition
January 17, 2019 at 07:20AM Is Your Snoring The Sign of a Bigger Health Problem? Continue Reading… Author Kayleigh Roberts | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
The baking soda hack that’ll save your sneakers if you wear them without socks
January 17, 2019 at 06:59AM by CWC There are two types of people reading this article right now: those who clicked because they go sock-less in sneakers and are genuinely curious in the information I’m about to present, and those who are horrified at the notion of sticking their bare feet into sneakers and are checking to see if this is actually a “thing people do.” I assure you, the latter group, that it is a thing. I’ll admit that I’ve even engaged in this practice on occasion. My APLs seemed breathable enough, and I’m always losing my socks (someone please explain where they go), so why “waste” a pair? The smell is one answer, but we’ll get there. An informal poll of my friends found that many of them, too, have foregone socks when wearing sneakers. Foot docs super do not recommend this, however. “[Wearing socks] can help decrease perspiration as well as prevent foot odor and blister—and the right socks make sneakers feel more comfortable,” says podiatrist Suzanne Fuchs, DPM. “Wearing sneakers without socks make them smell bad because of increased perspiration.” On top of that, she says that sweating in your sneakers can make your feet smell bad because the increased moisture creates a “breeding ground” for odor-inducing bacteria. Should none of this deter you from living a sock-less lifestyle, there are some things you can do to keep your feet healthy and slow down your sneaker turnover. Dr. Fuchs recommends cleaning your kicks daily—yes, daily!—if you wear
8 yoga mats that are practically works of art
January 17, 2019 at 06:09AM by CWC I hate to admit it, but I spend approximately 70 percent of my yoga practice staring at my feet, wondering why there are so many random hairs on them and whether or not I’ll ever be responsible enough to remember to get regular pedicures. And frankly, I find the non-stop stream of foot-related thoughts to be incredibly distracting—because how am I supposed to find my zen in a full forward-fold when all I can think about is how weird my toes look? Upon a very unscientific poll (I asked three of my coworkers, one of whom copped to staring at other people’s feet during class in addition to her own), I found that I’m not the only one who spends time on the mat contemplating the meaning of toe hair when she should be focusing on her ujjayi breath. And my theory on the best way to fix it? Invest in a museum-worthy mat to stare at instead. These days, yoga mats have hit their peak. Not only can you get ultra high-tech options that are made out of cork or roll up on their own (yes—those are as amazing as they sound), but the market has also gotten a whole lot more aesthetically pleasing. While popping into down dog on a tasteful yoga mat probably won’t make your practice any better or bendier, it will give you something pretty to look at while you’re staring at the ground—and what’s not to love about that? A few
Experts dish on whether it’s healthy for your childhood teddy bear to still be your VIP bedmate
January 17, 2019 at 05:30AM by CWC Remember that scene in the holiday classic Love, Actually when Laura Linney’s character, Sarah, quickly hides (and reassuringly kisses) her childhood teddy bear that lives on her bed before she welcomes a hot guy into her room? It’s a relatable moment for many of us who still sleep with our teddy (or froggy or lamby, or whatever breed of stuffed animal it may be) and feel a little bit of shame about the habit society says we should’ve long grown out of. If this describes you, know that you’re not alone: A 2017 survey of more than 2,000 American adults found that 40 percent still sleep with a teddy bear. Sure, that’s not the overwhelming majority, but it’s enough evidence to support the notion that clinging to your security toy isn’t so strange, or even something that might compromise your status as a bona fide adult. But, could clutching such items of childhood comfort be an unhealthy sign of regression? Is it “normal” to sleep with your childhood stuffed animals? Therapist Margaret Van Ackeren, LMFT, says, “In most instances, adults sleep with childhood stuffed animals because it brings them a sense of security and reduces negative feelings, such as loneliness and anxiety.” Basically, the tools can provide calmness and a sense of not being alone—much like they might have for you when you were little. “In most instances, adults sleep with childhood stuffed animals because it brings them a sense of security and reduces
Inspo Alert: This Hygge Home In Vancouver Is A Green Oasis
January 17, 2019 at 01:00AM Listen up, plant lovers. Continue Reading… Author Emma Loewe | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
5 Natural Liver Detox Options That Won’t Make Your Eyes Roll
January 17, 2019 at 01:00AM Put these on the to-do list Continue Reading… Author Stephanie Eckelkamp | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
9 Cannabis-Infused Face Oils For Every Skin Type
January 17, 2019 It’s time to embrace the non-psychoactive powers of this healing plant. Continue Reading… Author Lindsay Kellner | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue