Real talk: How bad of an idea is the carnivore diet, anyways?

January 18, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Just when you thought you’d seen every single conceivable diet trend throw its hat into the ring these past few years, people started Instagramming photos of their massive steak breakfasts and tagging #carnivorediet. In the polarity of the current battle between bacon-endowed keto and the plant-based movement, I honestly don’t even know why I was surprised that something as obscene as the carnivore diet somehow became a thing. Of course some beefy dude on the internet is suggesting we should all eat all meat all the time. View this post on Instagram Went with the carnivore classic for lunch today. Grilled up a huge ribeye and soft boiled some egg. I gave them a quick cool down but the yolks were still runny so that yolk sauce was flowing! . . . #carnivore #carnivorediet #butter #ribeye #meatheals #keto #grassfed #fitfood #beef#foodpics #yolkporn #fat #fuelyourbody #steakdinner #fats #nocarb #postworkoutmeal #lowcarb #ribeyesteak #fat #fatfueled #fuel #steak #fuelyourbody #ribeyes #highprotein #goodeats #rolltide #grill #grilled #grilling A post shared by Jarrett (@mr.meatheals) on Jan 15, 2020 at 1:35pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js But ever since I’ve learned of the existence of the carnivore diet, I’ve been just straight-up concerned. Hasn’t eating more plants (and less meat) been linked with significant health benefits by large-scale research? And isn’t eating lots of meat—particularly red meat and processed meat products—widely accepted to be, well, bad? Confused as all hell, I tapped a couple of experts who know a thing or two about

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Pair this secret weapon with your dry shampoo to lock in moisture and fight split ends

January 18, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Dry shampoo is a true hero on those days you’re looking a little greasy but don’t have time to wash your hair. Which, let’s be honest, happen a lot more often than we’d all like to admit. The problem is while those products do a stellar job at absorbing oil, instantly giving you fresher-looking strands, they tend to significantly dry out your hair.  That is unless you’re pairing your go-to dry shampoo with a dry oil for the ultimate dynamic duo. While using a dry shampoo is great for your roots, using a dry oil is a must for your ends and the bottom portion of your hair. It’s essentially the perfect balance: You’re getting rid of the moisture you don’t want, and adding in the moisture you do, leaving you with grease-free strands that are hydrated, healthy, and have just the right amount of shine. To give your hair a healthy burst of moisture, choose from one of these trusty dry oils. The best dry oils for silky-smooth, hydrated hair 1. Ogx Moroccan Argan Oil Weightless Dry Oil, $16 (for pack of 2) Adding moisture to your hair is as simple as spraying on this Moroccan argan oil. It helps mend split ends, tames flyaways, and adds shine. 2. Kristin Ess Anytime Anywhere Scalp + Hair Milk Oil, $14 This product combines avocado, olive, jojoba, and castor oils to help restore moisture in your hair and “zip-up” split ends, creating a super-smooth

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7 secrets to living a long, fulfilling life, according to people in their 80s, 90s, and 100s

January 18, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC Wouldn’t it be great if we could just know how to be the healthiest, happiest, and most fulfilled versions of ourselves? Of course, there’s something to be said for embracing the trial-and-error journey of finding what works for you, but we also have an untapped resource for discovering which healthy habits maximize longevity. People are living longer than ever, especially in parts of the world known as the Blue Zones—so, wouldn’t it be wise to simply ask these long-living people their secrets for how to live a long life? That’s exactly what the nine-part documentary series The Human Longevity Project sought to do by visiting more than 50 locations worldwide—including the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the small island of Guernsey in the English Channel, and Okinawa, Japan—to interview locals of the longest-living and healthiest populations on the planet in addition to experts, healers, and doctors. “I always suggest to listen to the elders. The elders have plenty of experience, and they know how things work.” —Salvatore Scanu, 94 Below, find seven insights that folks in their eighties, nineties, and beyond share in the documentary that point to how to live a long life that’s happy, healthy, and fulfilling. Because, as Salvatore Scanu, 94, from Italy, points in the doc, we stand to learn a lot. “I always suggest to listen to the elders. The elders have plenty of experience, and they know how things work,” he says. 1. Work hard and lead an

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You can spot treat skin dryness just like you can breakouts, according to derms

January 18, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC We often think about spot treatments in terms of fighting breakouts. But newsflash: There are also spot treatments for dry skin, too. Think about it: It doesn’t really make sense to apply a cream all over your face throughout the day if only certain parts of your complexion are parched (especially if you wear makeup and have to reapply that, too). “Spot treating dry patches can help even out your skin tone, rather than applying lotion to the overall area,” says Gretchen Frieling, MD, a Boston-based board-certified dermatopathologist, noting that this is particularly the case for people with combination skin types. “If your forehead is dry, you can apply a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid to just that area.” The same applies to your cheeks (or your chin, or whatever is dry). As of late, this is getting easier than ever with the advent of serum sticks, which contain hydrating ingredients that are easy to deliver to skin and don’t require your entire complexion to be doused with a product. Dr. Frieling recommends looking for your MVP skin-hydrating ingredients to spot treat dryness, citing hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, and vitamin C as prime examples. “Skin replenishing ingredients like hyaluronic and glycolic acid help enrich the outer layer of the skin giving it a heavy dose of hydration,” she says. “Hyaluronic acid is especially beneficial for immediate hydration, as it grabs onto water and holds it within your complexion.” Ceramides, she adds, also help

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Nitrofurantoin, Oral Capsule

Highlights for nitrofurantoin Nitrofurantoin oral capsule is available as both generic and brand-name drugs. Brand-names: Macrobid and Macrodantin. Nitrofurantoin is also available in an oral suspension. Nitrofurantoin oral capsule is used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections that are caused by certain bacteria. Important warnings Lung inflammation warning: This drug may cause lung inflammation. This is a rare side effect and is more likely to happen if you take the drug for longer than 6 months. Symptoms of lung inflammation can include tiredness, fever, chills, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor right away. Liver problems warning: This drug may cause liver inflammation or liver injury. If you’re taking nitrofurantoin for long-term therapy, your doctor will monitor your liver with blood tests. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of liver problems while taking this drug. These include itching, yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, and loss of appetite. Nerve damage warning: This drug may cause nerve damage. This damage can cause numbness and pain, especially in your hands and feet. Red blood cell damage warning: This drug may cause hemolysis (a type of red blood cell damage). Symptoms of hemolysis include tiredness, weakness, and pale skin. Hemolysis goes away after you stop taking this drug. Diarrhea warning: This drug may cause mild or severe diarrhea. Tell your doctor right away if you have diarrhea while taking this drug. If your diarrhea is mild, it may stop after

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What is emotional cheating and how can I stop it from ruining my relationship?

January 18, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC If someone is in a committed, traditionally monogamous relationship and still decides to sleep with someone else, that’s clear and present infidelity. But, what if there is no sex involved in the indiscretion? What if talking to and spending time with another person is as far as the extra-relationship dalliance goes? While a person may blame a one-night stand on a momentary lapse of judgement, an emotional affair can extend much more deep in terms of significance. So what is emotional cheating, exactly? Well, there’s often feelings and intimacy involved, and it’s something that’s developed over time, not overnight. And, most crucially, it can be destructive to a relationship. Psychiatrist Gail Saltz, MD, defines emotional cheating as “betraying your partner by investing emotional energy into another person from whom you are getting gratification and emotional intimacy.” Still not sure about it? Keep reading to further clarify whether emotional cheating counts as traditional cheating, why people do it in the first place, signs to look out for, and how to overcome it if it happens to your relationship. What is emotional cheating, and does it count as infidelity? Short answer? Yes—according to Dr. Saltz, at least. “Most people would be every bit as devastated by their partner feeling attached to and highly emotionally involved with another person,” she says, comparing the situation to physical cheating. The main component of emotional cheating, she adds, is secrecy. So, a good litmus test for whether a relationship

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The 6 healthy frozen dinners you should always keep in your freezer, according to a dietitian

January 18, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC There’s something so nostalgic about frozen meals. I mean, who didn’t grow up eating the occasional Kid Cuisine meal that came complete with nuggets, some questionable veggies, and a brownie for dessert? As an adult, you’re probably well aware most options in the freezer section are loaded with sodium. But, to my surprise, it’s still completely possible to relive my childhood with healthy frozen dinners. The next time you hit up the grocery store, Brittany Modell, RD, has some healthy (and delicious!) frozen meals that are more than worth adding to your cart. Healthy frozen dinners for nights when you don’t feel like cooking 1. TRADER JOE’S RICED CAULIFLOWER STIR FRY “This a great item to keep in the freezer because it’s an easy meal you can whip up on a weeknight. It contains green peas, red peppers, grilled corn, tamari, spring onions, sesame oil, and ginger. It’s also low in carbs and fat. If you want a boost of protein, you can always add tofu or egg.” 2. HILARY’S FROZEN VEGETABLE BURGERS “This is one of my favorite frozen vegetable burgers. I love the wholesome, plant-based ingredients, such as whole grain millet, adzuki beans, sweet potato, and flaxseed. I always keep at least one box in my freezer at all times. I love eating a patty with Food for Life’s Ezekiel sprouted English muffin or alongside frozen vegetables as a quick meal when I’m out of fresh produce.” 3. TRADER JOE’S SRIRACHA

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Why a “bland diet” is your BFF during times of, ahem, gastric distress

January 18, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Having a stomach bug is never fun. Your whole body hurts, you feel nauseated and dizzy, and it often requires you to spend lots of quality time in your bathroom. (Fun!) And if you do end up getting a GI issue like a stomach sickness or virus, you need to be super careful with what you eat as you recover so you don’t push your stomach too hard and overwhelm it with food. (No matter how good that bowl of mac and cheese looks right now.) So if all of this sounds a lot like you, you might be interested to know more about the “bland diet,” aka a sad, upset stomach’s life-force during rough times. What is a bland diet and what do you eat on it? The “bland diet” is essentially a temporary eating pattern that is low in fiber (yes, you read that right) and seasonings to keep things super plain, non-gas causing, and well, boring, to eat. “It is often used post-surgery for a patient, or when someone is dealing with GI problems, disorders and diseases such as ulcers, Crohn’s disease, GERD (chronic acid reflux), diverticulosis, and even acute GI illnesses,” says Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. It can also be helpful if you’re getting over a stomach bug or another similar kind of short-term issue. This type of diet emphasizes low-fiber starches, lean meats and protein sources, and calming foods, such as soups and hot cereals. It

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Taking a device break can inspire *major* emotional growth—at any age

January 18, 2020 at 01:30AM by CWC In the digital age, distancing ourselves from phones and gadgets can be a challenge—especially for kids. But for Taryn Toomey, founder of The Class by Taryn Toomey, her daughter’s choice to leave her iPad alone wound up boosting her self-awareness. Here, the Well+Good Council member talks about the lessons her family learned while taking an analog-only trip. Screen time for children starts small, often with an educational show like Sesame Street. And yes, when my children were toddlers and I was rushing to make breakfast, sometimes I was very grateful for the presence of Elmo. But over the years, a build starts to happen—a few more shows here, a YouTube video there—until eventually kids get their hands on an iPad. That’s what happened in our family, anyway. About four years ago, both of my kids had iPads. Each morning, they’d rush to pick up their devices, and they’d quietly sit glued to their videos and games. I set boundaries around iPads—they were never allowed at the table, for instance—but still, I felt a growing unease with how my children were interacting with technology. My kids were constantly yearning for the iPad. I witnessed them transform into little zombies while watching it. And I worried about the effects this was having on our family. I felt a growing unease with how my children were interacting with technology. This was on my mind a few years ago, when my oldest daughter and I were preparing

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The definitive ranking of boutique fitness locker rooms with the best beauty supplies

January 18, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC My old apartment had a scary bathroom that I hated using. To avoid it, I’d book evening hot yoga classes at Y7 Studio so I could shower there. The shower lines are much shorter in the evening, and the Malin+Goetz shower gel they provide smells so good you forget all about the 60 minutes you spent slipping around in your own sweat. Boutique studios have seriously upped the gym locker room game—so much that you may go out of your way to shower at the gym. If you’re ever out of shampoo, or, like me, have a bathroom straight out of a horror film, you can literally just shower at the gym. Where is the best place to go, you ask? We’ve got you covered. The 7 best-stocked boutique studios locker rooms for showering at the gym Photo: Kiehl’s best body lotion: EQUINOX While not exactly boutique, Equinox set this luxe standard when they partnered with Kiehl’s back in 2009. The Crème de Corps ($40) is a real stand-out.  It’s packed with ingredients like beta-carotene, cocoa butter, and sesame, which fight free radicals, moisturize and soften the skin, respectively. It’s so good, one of our writers swears by it to nourish her dry skin. Photo: Chanel Best serums: THE CLASS BY TARYN TOOMEY I don’t know about you, but Chanel serums aren’t exactly at the top of my restock list. Feel like a French girl and do your skin routine at The Class

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