January 02, 2019 at 01:02PM The only thing I feel like I have complete control over is my nails. When my life turns into a barely manageable dumpster fire, I find solace in the fact that my nails aren’t simply done, but they look fresh AF (nail art on point 365). So during a recent trip to my nail artist, I was shook when she told me that all of my nail issues could be solved by incorporating cuticle oil into my skin-care regimen. As it happens, we may have named the stuff too quickly, because it’s not just a cuticle savior, softening and preventing hangnails from happening, it’s also pretty stellar at promoting all-around healthier, stronger tips. So to get the full scoop, I reached out to Jenny Patinkin, beauty pro and author of Lazy Perfection to hear all about how cuticle oil can help nails beyond the cuticles. Keep on scrolling for what she had to say. The multitasking ways cuticle oil is good for nails, too 1. It thickens and strengthens nails: When my nails get very long, the sides tend to bend inwards making them look more narrow than they are. I figured that this was just the way my nails grew, but I learned that it actually happens when nails are thin and weak. Horsetail oil (which despite the name, comes from the horsetail plant and not an animal) is an ingredient commonly found in or used as a cuticle oil. Patinkin says it’s “my favorite way to heal
Year: 2019
In the market for running shoes? Here are the new ones to know now
January 02, 2019 at 12:23PM I remember my first pair of running sneakers. Scene: 2008. I had just gotten into stringing together multiple miles for fun, and purchased a pair of Nikes at a local sports shop because they were A) inexpensive and B) nice to look at. Fast forward two years later, I quickly learned that I had to stop shopping based on aesthetics or trends. I stopped by a local run store, was fitted, did a gait analysis, and the whole shebang. I walked out the door that day dropping a pretty penny for sneakers from a brand I’d never heard of, and despite being hesitant at the time, was a whole lot better for it. The fact is: It can be super overwhelming to figure out which sneaker is the right one with so many options available to runners these days. Especially as more and more brands are trying to make a name for themselves in the category. In 2017 alone, the United States athletic footwear industry generated $19.6 billion in sales, according to global information company the NPD Group. The biggest players in the game? Nike and Adidas. But other names are trying to claim some of those dollars, too, adding more run options to their portfolio. Take Reebok, for instance. In December 2016, the brand announced their Floatride Run shoe utilizing a proprietary foam that gives consistent cushioning throughout the foot. “Running is at the core of our consumer’s fitness life,” says Scott Daley, Vice
“I’m a competitive CrossFit athlete. Here’s what I eat every single day”
January 02, 2019 at 12:01PM When it comes to fit squads, nothing is more hardcore than the CrossFit community. Known as “the sport of fitness,” its devotees are so intense they even speak their own language—snatch, WOD, AMRAP, oh my! A proud member of this weights-loving community: Elizabeth Adams, a New York City-based CrossFit instructor *and* a competitive CrossFit athlete (she’s competed in the CrossFit Games multiple years in a row). You’ll find her at her local box virtually every day, training clients and testing her own limits. See proof here: View this post on Instagram @blakealakee would not be happy with those bent knees Muscle ups went from being a real fear of mine to a movement I feel confident in and (sometimes) look forward to in workouts . That whole process thing is cray #crossfit #weightlifting #thetrainingplan #headspace #wellness #health #fitness #strength #gymnastics #athlete @martsromero @thetrainingplan @crossfitgames @headspace @handspring_gymnastics A post shared by Elizabeth Adams (@lizadams21) on Nov 20, 2018 at 3:30pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js View this post on Instagram Hump Day @headspace Vibes There is nothing that is stable and there is nothing that can be defined . That’s freedom #crossfit #weightlifting #thetrainingplan #headspace #wellness #health #fitness #strength #nike #justmove @martsromero A post shared by Elizabeth Adams (@lizadams21) on Oct 17, 2018 at 7:00am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js As you can imagine, pulling off those incredible feats requires proper fuel, and lots of it. Wondering what this looks like exactly? Adams meticulously tracked
Too lazy to bullet journal? Try tracking your 2019 goals with a one-page calendar
January 02, 2019 at 11:55AM Choosing a goal to strive toward (new year or not) is the easy part of the self-improvement equation. From there it only gets more difficult—days bleed into weeks while you struggle to remember whether or not you actually drank 8 cups of water each day last month. The solution for keeping track of whatever goal you’ve set for yourself couldn’t be simpler: a one-page calendar, totally stripped down and oh-so-satisfying to fill out. Print a one-page calendar by Hardi Design. Each day, when you complete whatever it is you’re trying to turn into a daily habit, put an X over the number (Jerry Seinfeld recommends using a red marker). As time goes by, row after row of Xs should provide a little motivation to keep going. More than one goal this year? Just print more than one calendar and write a title at the top of each! You can stick to the barebones approach or you can add a little flourish. (For instance, if 2019 is all about getting in a run each day, write your mileage over the date.) Even if your goal isn’t the type that requires a daily visual representation, glancing at a year in full makes it easy to judge your accomplishments. Are you sticking to your bedtime regularly enough? Are you on track to meet your pre-marathon training goals? Are you writing as much as you promised yourself you would? Simple and effective, it’s almost like the lazy girl’s version of bullet
Befriending these 5 types of people will amplify your success
January 02, 2019 at 11:42AM Having a core group of friends is one of the most basic ingredients in the recipe for a healthy life. Maybe you have your yoga friend, your laugh-until-you-cry friend, and a handful of others. But diversifying your friend group with five specific relationship archetypes will set you on a trajectory toward total fulfillment. “People play five different roles,” says author Jonathan Fields in the most recent episode of The Good Life Project podcast. “Some of these people play multiple roles, but if we think about the people in success scaffolding, we’re looking at people to play five distinct roles.” After combing through a wealth of friendship-based research (of which there is a lot, y’all), Fields concluded that, yes, your friends, mentors, and colleagues absolutely have an influence when it comes to reaching your goals. Here are the five people you need in your life. Co-strivers: “Co-strivers or ‘parallel playmates’ are people who are working to achieve something similar to you along the way, going through a similar process of seeking, and struggling, and working,” says Fields. Look around at work: The person with whom you share a cubicle and the other who shares your affinity for idle chit-chat in the office kitchen both fall into this category. Your run club could also be considered your parallel playmates, since you’re all working toward the common goal of crossing that 10K finish line. Most importantly, these are the people you commiserate with, according to Fields. “It’s like, you get to grumble together, you
So… are you supposed do your skin-care routine before or after working out? A derm explains
January 02, 2019 at 11:09AM This morning at the Well + Good offices, we found ourselves in a heated debate: Are you supposed to do your entire skin-care routine before your workout, or afterwards? There are two camps here at W+G HQ: Some of us are adamant about going through a full cleanse-tone-moisturize pre-sweat sesh, while others are staunchly for doing their beauty routines immediately afterward. One thing we could agree on, though, is that it’s the sweat factor that makes things confusing: Do your products absorb enough that you don’t have to worry about sweating them out while you’re running on the treadmill, or do you need to do your full regimen from cleanse to finish after you’ve spent an hour soaked in your own perspiration? To clear things up, I decided to consult a pro. “It all depends on when you’re working out,” explains Purvisah Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “Your skin-care products will do you more justice if applied to freshly clean skin and can be left on for the maximum amount of time. After workouts, you have more blood supply to the skin, and the products can work a little better.” So, yes—apply your beauty products post-sweat when your complexion’s more ready to absorb rather than melt off whatever’s put on top of it. “The products will sweat off and not get a chance to stay on the skin, so definitely do everything after,” says Dr. Patel. If you work out in the
The best at-home LED masks to brighten your skin and scare your Instagram followers
January 02, 2019 at 09:43AM I’ve always associated taking care of my skin with slathering a moisturizer and smattering of serums on my face. From the early days of ordering ProActiv via infomercials to my more recent approach of trying all the things the drugstore has to offer, I’m what you’d label a “skin-care junkie”. And while that’s great and all, my eyes have recentlybeen opened to an entirely different way to nix fine lines and obliterate acne. Enter: LED light masks. The technology, which uses light therapy to squelch pimples and reduce signs of aging, used to only be available at dermatologists’ offices. Now, though, innovations (and some seriously cool innovations) have made it accessible to those of us who prefer to treat our zits while watching The Great British Baking Show instead of hauling it to the doctor. And, bonus, they make for hilariously terrifying selfies. View this post on Instagram Is this a weird way to make friends at a new job or…. @drdennisgross A post shared by Zoe Weiner (@zoeweinerrr) on Dec 12, 2018 at 11:20am PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js So how exactly do these masks—which look like a cross between the Lite Brights you played with as a kid and Ghostface from Scream—actually work? “LED light therapy can stimulate collagen production, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles, as well as eliminate acne-causing bacteria, which improves skin clarity. There’s no pain or downtime, which is an added benefit,” says Dennis Gross, MD, a New York City dermatologist who launched a
6 steps to take before deciding it’s time to bail on a friendship
January 02, 2019 at 09:35AM When you’re living your best Sex and the City-inspired life and meeting your “core four” (or however many form your ideal personal coven) regularly for brunch and gossip, friendship likely feels positive and additive to your life. It’s fun! It’s telling one she’s better than the crush she’s waiting to hear from. It’s covering the tab until the other finds a new job. It’s making sure another gets home safe. But life is not always a box of Manolos. Sometimes, friendship is listening to her ruminate endlessly over her last relationship, her mother’s struggles with cancer, her own fertility issues, her bleak finances. And sometimes, it’s just feeling like a receptacle where she deposits all of her anxious and/or depressive thoughts. It can be draining, and confusing—especially since it’s so tough to identify when issues discussed in friendship cross over from “crisis for her” to “crisis for you.” And when self-care is the order of the day, does distancing yourself from the darkness make you a wellness warrior or a bad friend? Below, experts discuss how to deal with friendship rough patches and knowing when to call it quits. Keep reading for expert tips on navigating imbalanced friendships. Photo: Getty Images/Carlina Teteris 1. Assess the overall health of your relationship Every relationship has ups and downs, so it’s important to evaluate the situation holistically before taking any action. According to friendship expert Shasta Nelson, three markers designate a healthy friendship—the first being positivity. To measure this,
The Mediterranean diet ranks No. 1 once again—here’s why
January 02, 2019 at 09:27AM The ketogenic diet may have been the buzziest eating plan in 2018, but is it the healthiest overall? According to U.S. News and World Report, the tried-and-true Mediterranean diet rises to take the top honor. A panel of health experts examined and ranked 41 popular eating plans, concluding that the Mediterranean diet is the most universally beneficial for long-term health. Further down the list, U.S. News named the DASH diet as the second healthiest, with Weight Watchers as fourth, vegetarian as 11th, vegan as 20th, Paleo as 33rd, and Whole30 and keto tied for 38th. What makes the Mediterranean diet so beloved by MDs and nutrition experts? Registered dietitian Lauren Slayton, MS, RD, points to the fact that it emphasizes the consumption of foods high in omega-3s and healthy fats, like fish, olive oil, nuts, grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies. “[Olive oil] has tremendous cardiovascular benefits,” she says. Slayton adds that it’s also a pretty easy diet for people to stick to; it’s not overly restrictive like many other popular eating plans (red wine is definitely on the Mediterranean menu!). A few other benefits to the diet you might not know: 1. It’s good for your gut. One study found that people who follow the Mediterranean diet had a higher population of good bacteria in their microbiome, compared to those who ate a traditional Western diet. Researchers noted an increase in eating plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, and legumes upped the good bacteria by 7 percent! 2.
Selena Gomez introduced me to hot Pilates and my winter is already better
January 02, 2019 at 09:06AM Move over, Bikram: There’s a hot new workout trend (yes, I went there) that’s about to be everywhere in 2019, and some of your favorite celebs are already on board. Enter: Hot Pilates. The new-ish class has been popping up on the schedules of some trendy studios of late, from Flex Studios in New York to the aptly named Hot Pilates in LA. It’s exactly what it sounds like: Pilates, but in a hot room, and offers a myriad of benefits that can help you take your core-busting practice to the next level. “Just like with Bikram, the heat will get your heart rate up,” explains instructor Kate Davies, who offers a hot Pilates class at her studio, YO BK. “It also warms up the muscles and releases lactic acid so that your joints and your muscles are a little bit more pliable. I like using the analogy of a welder heating up a piece of metal before bending it—the human body is really similar. When people who practice hot yoga and hot Pilates go to a class that’s not heated, they’re like, ‘Whoa, this is such a different range of motion.’” And it’s true, considering the different level of flexibility that you feel in those high temps. She also points out the detox benefits of sweating, noting that her students “love to feel that ‘rinsed-clean’ feeling you get from sweating until your hair is completely wet.” Davies’ class, which is considered “Inferno Style,” combines floor