January 20, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC A lot of people think that healthy eating is entirely about what you put on your plate. People get fixated on macros, probiotics, the merits of certain micronutrients, and avoiding things like GMOs and non-organic produce. But one of the most important components of healthy eating isn’t what does or doesn’t go on your fork—it’s having a healthy relationship with food. A lot of people have a complicated relationship with food, in part because of the very language we use to talk about how we eat. Many foods come with an inherent “good” or “bad” association shaped by our own experiences and the expectations of society—like calling chips and desserts junk food (a “bad”) versus other particularly nutrient-dense foods being labeled superfoods (a “good). This might not seem like a big deal, but that language can impact how we feel about ourselves for eating or even wanting to eat certain foods. “A lot of people transfer these labels onto their own self-worth; if I eat ‘good’ food, I am good. If I eat ‘bad’ food, I am bad,” says Camille Williams, MA, LCPC, the eating disorder program coordinator at treatment center Timberline Knolls. This kind of black-and-white thinking can create shame and guilt—which in turn affects how and what you eat. “Categorizing foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ can cause some mental restriction, where we feel badly after eating ‘bad foods’ and then tell ourselves we’ll never eat that way again,” Alissa Rumsey, MS,
Day: January 20, 2020
I’m a movement specialist, and this is the best stretch based on your height
January 20, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC First things first: Everyone—and I do mean, everyone—needs to stretch. No matter how active you are, how flexible you feel, or how stiff your joints seem, consistently and effectively stretching your body is necessary for a long, healthy, and active life. Without doing so, you can experience aches, pains, and consistent tightness. However, the best stretches for you may not be the same as those for your best friend, who is a few inches shorter or taller. Though it isn’t a big difference, yoga instructor and movement specialist at Yoga Wake Up, Emilie Perz says folks at different heights tend to get sorer in various spots. “The reality is that stretches are not one size fits all,” she explains. “To optimize your body’s flexibility, try exercises that are designed with height in mind to lengthen and open the most commonly tight areas of the body.” Keep scrolling for your guide to height-based stretching. For those 5’5” and shorter The most common height for women in America is 5’4″, so we’re guessing these stretches will apply to many of you. Those under 5’5” can put a strain on the upper body, like the neck and shoulders by straining or reaching excessively. Certain stretches, however, can give you a much-needed break and bring some relief to your back, neck, and calves, which can commonly find themselves sore if you’re under 5’5″. Forward Fold When you first hear your alarm clock sound, start your day with
An esthetician shares the basics on how to gua sha like a pro
January 20, 2020 at 06:18PM by CWC Though you might still be wondering how to pronounce it, you’ve heard about gua sha and all its reported muscle-soothing, glow-inducing benefits (it’s gwa-sha, btw). But do you know how to perform the technique properly to get the biggest skin boost—without turning your face into a tomato? In case you could use a crash course, Shardae Boyce, licensed esthetician and skin therapist at Heyday, shared the insider secrets—AKA the stuff us skin-care civilians don’t know—on how to gua sha the right way at our recent Wellness Collective event with Athleta. Boyce is known for her expertise in caring for people’s complexion (her nickname is literally the “glow giver”), and she gushes over gua sha. “It’s like an eraser, but to rid your face of fine lines and wrinkles,” she says. “It’ll become your best friend.” Who needs the fountain of youth when you can keep one of these beautifully colored tools (they’re usually made of jade or rose quartz) in your own bathroom? Okay, now for the fun part. Boyce walked us through step-by-step directions on how to give yourself that coveted glow, and she recommends starting with a clean and hydrated face and neck. To hydrate, generously apply a face oil or moisturizer so that the tool will glide smoothly over your skin, rather than pull at it. Pro tip: Always push up and out in order to defy gravity. Once your skin is nice and dewy, Shardae suggests starting at the
Macy’s basically just launched a wellness department (with our help!)—here are our 9 favorite items
January 20, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC Imagine discovering a one-stop-shop haven of wellness treasures that has everything you know you need—water bottles, candles, and foam rollers—along with life-enhancing goods you never even knew you desired. Well, imagine no more, because that haven is very, very real, and ready for you to peruse online and at select Macy’s stores nationwide. Well+Good has partnered with STORY at Macy’s, an experiential retail concept that focuses on a new theme every few months, to bring Feel Good to the department store’s New York City’s Herald Square location and 36 other STORY at Macy’s locations that span the country. Open until April, you’ll find curated merchandise and expert-led events designed to make you a student of your own health. Basically, it’s a limited-time Macy’s wellness department. At Feel Good STORY at Macy’s, you’ll be able shop items that promote balance, energy, and nourishment, all in line with Well+Good’s 2020 Wellness Trends. Think, chickpea snacks, take-anywhere workout tools, and smart skin care. And, along with your purchases, you’ll have the opportunity to attend events that feature pros who can speak to everything from astrology to mocktails and what healthy eating will look like in the years to come. The collaboration has created a place that makes you want to come in, kick off your shoes, and stay—cough, meditate—a while (which is thanks in large part to a partnership with the Calm meditation app providing complimentary mindfulness sessions). So get ready to get acquainted with the
Wonder what to do with old t-shirts? Here are 15 things beyond turning them into rags
January 20, 2020 at 04:01PM by CWC Every t-shirt has a lifecycle. There’s that first fresh-off-the-rack wear, when it feels brand new, followed by the first few washes when things feel extra soft and worn in. Over many sweaty afternoons and subsequent rinse cycles, your go-to, going-out tee transitions to become your favorite workout shirt, until it reaches the point where it definitely shouldn’t be seen in public any more. But instead of tossing your ratty old t-shirt into the trash, there are plenty of other—far more sustainable—things you can do with it, including upcycling. The reason it’s so important to upcycle versus recycle? “Clothing needs to be sorted into groups of similar material content if they’re to be recycled,” says Tiffany Threadgould, head of design at Terracycle, noting that it can be complicated to figure out how to sort your textiles to ensure they end up in the right place. “While many t-shirts are 100 percent cotton there are definitely cotton-poly and 100 percent poly blends, which would mess up a recycling system.” So even if your t-shirts make it into the recycling bin instead of the plain old trash, there’s no guarantee that they’re actually going to be recycled, which is why it’s more sustainable to find a new life for them to live. Recycling is important, but falls to third place on the list of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ because it’s more labor intensive,” says Threadgould. “Focusing first on the reduce and reuse is where you can make
A music scientist explains how to hack your playlist and make your workouts more effective
January 20, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC Picture this nightmare of a situation: you’ve mustered up all your remaining energy after a long day of work to pack your running shoes, sports bra and towel, only to realize once you got to the gym that you forgot your headphones. You now have a tough decision to make: go back home to get your AirPods, or tough out a workout that’s sure to feel a lot more monotonous and challenging? If going back home to retrieve your headphones so you actually survive this workout sounds like more, well, your jam, you’re not alone. “There have been scores of research papers and controlled studies demonstrating that music enhances athletic performance significantly,” says Eric Stensvaag, curator and writer at Feed.fm, a program that works with music scientists to curate motivating playlists for every situation.“Music can also create an increased commitment to exercise, resulting in people working out more frequently and for prolonged periods.” Specifically, a study from the journal Ergonomics found that participants who boosted the tempo and volume of their music while on the treadmill ran faster than those who didn’t. Bonus: The study also found their quickened pace maintained their perceived effort, which increased their endurance. Turns out your best training session yet doesn’t involve hiring a personal trainer. Here’s how to create the perfect playlist so you breeze through your next workout. Consider your workout type The music you bring to a sprinting sesh on the treadmill is going to
I’m a tarot reader, and I hate getting these 8 questions
January 20, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC In recent years, I’ve become a big fan of tarot, and I’ve even learned how to read the cards, both for myself and to be able to give readings to others. One of my biggest takeaways during this process has been regarding questions to ask in tarot readings, because, as I’ve learned, the query itself is just as important as the messages you stand to receive. Because of this reality, knowing the dos and don’ts of best practices for asking questions in tarot is pretty important if you want to receive a clear reading. Below, two professional tarot readers share the questions they hate answering most, so go ahead and add those to your do-not-ask list. Then, prep yourself to receive some eye-opening messages with their intel about the best types of questions to ask in tarot readings. Questions not to ask in tarot card readings 1. Questions you don’t really want answered This may seem obvious, but it’s best to avoid asking the tarot cards questions that you’re not ready to hear the answers to. That’s because they just may bring forth messages you’re not quite ready to face. “If you are not willing to hear the truth of the matter or look at an opposing viewpoint, tarot can really come off as offensive.” —Nicole Fortunaso, tarot reader “If you are not willing to hear the truth of the matter or look at an opposing viewpoint, tarot can really come off as
A Sephora beauty director can’t stop gushing over these 5 skin-care products
January 20, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC When a beauty insider sweeps aside the curtain and lets you in on her beauty secrets, you get out a pen and take down notes. So when Sephora beauty director Myiesha Sewell shared the five Sephora skin-care products she loves the very most, you better believe my hand was cramping. From an exfoliating mask to a cleansing balm to her best-of-the-best hyaluronic acid, here’s what you’ll find in Sewell’s beauty cabinet. The 5 Sephora skin-care products an insider keeps on hand at all times All Photos: Sephora 1. The Ordinary “Buffet”, $15 “I feel like this is kind of like The Ordinary’s hero product. I was using a basic hyaluronic acid serum—I have so many I go between!—but I’m turning 34 soon, and I feel like I need to ease in some anti-aging during the day because I typically keep that at night. I love the fact that it feels like nothing, but I’m still getting the anti-aging ingredients with the matrixyl, peptides, and my hyaluronic acid. But it just kind of wears like this like very airy moisture on my face. So I love that,” says Sewell. 2. Glow Recipe Watermelon Pink Juice Oil-Free Moisturizer, $39 “I think most people are familiar with the sleeping mask, but the daytime moisturizer is actually a serum moisturizer, so it has hyaluronic acid in it,” says Sewell. “My skin isn’t sensitive but it can be reactive. My eczema will flare up if I’m physically stressed
A butt-sculpting resistance band workout that also lights up your core? Yes, please
January 20, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LqVUlEd6Ho] Leg day—as much as it can burn—is very important to your overall strength. Your legs carry you throughout your entire life and provide key support in your mobility. While there are countless different lower body exercises you can choose from to give this muscle group love, one of the easiest ways to work your lower half is with a resistance band. This week, our Trainer of the Month Simone De La Rue, founder of Body By Simone, is bringing us a resistance band leg workout that strengthens and lengthens your leg muscles while sneakily hitting your core and your upper body, too. Specifically, the four-exercise workout (which only takes about 11 minutes, BTW) will target your hamstrings and your glutes. Strengthening the back of your lower body, (i.e. your hammies and your butt), can help prevent lower back pain in the long run, which is all the more reason to burn ’em out. To get started, all you need is a resistance band, or you can use an ankle weight or even no weight at all. Now keep scrolling to get sweating. Try this resistance band leg workout for yourself 1. Parallel kickback—left: Grab your resistance band and place your hand in the loops or grab the ends, and put your foot in the center of it, just underneath the sole. Set up in tabletop position, making sure your wrists are underneath your shoulders, elbows slightly bent. Kick your foot directly
Are you tired, fatigued, or exhausted? Here are 5 key differences, according to a sleep doctor
January 20, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC You’ve been dreaming about bed all day, the milky white, barely crumb-coated sheets and cloudlike pillows. You’ve been telling your co-workers, “I’m so exhausted,” like dying to nest up and get your beauty sleep. But if you actually hit the mattress and get to snoozing immediately, that terminology might not be accurate. And it’s not totally a battle between being exhausted vs tired. Instead, it’s about experiencing fatigue vs tired. “Fatigue and sleepiness are a bit different and important to make a difference between,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, sleep-health expert and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia. “You can be both, but we often confuse the terms.” Interesting. So how to tell if you’re in the lure of one or the other? 1. Sleepiness is more about being tired and less about overall energy If you’re low-key feeling sleepy, your main dilemma is that you really want to curl up on the office couch and embrace naptime. Naptime will be the solution to all your problems. But if fatigue is more your body, mind, and soul trying to run on 8 percent battery without ever going into sleep mode. “Fatigue is that feeling of dragging a ton of bricks behind you, having no energy, no gas in your tank,” says Dr. Harris. “However, when you’re able to try and nap, sleep just doesn’t come even though you want it to.” 2. Fatigue and insomnia tend to skip together hand-in-hand There’s kind