January 23, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC People are willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of gorgeous brows. First it was microblading, then pinching, then feathering, with the latest addition of brow lamination—all of which promise to add a little oomph above your eyes. While all of these treatments offer different-yet-beautiful results, there’s one thing they have in common: They require the handiwork of a professional. But according to the pros, you can actually achieve brow lamination (which involves sweeping the texture of your hair up for more fullness) at home—for a whole lot less coin—with the right products and a steady hand. If you’re not familiar, brow lamination makes it look like you’ve brushed and gelled your brows into a permanent boy brow style. “The look of brow lamination is upswept brows,” says celebrity brow oracle (and the only person I will ever trust with my own caterpillars) Joey Healy. The treatment works to help redirect the hair growth of your brow hairs, which tend to grow in different directions, explains Benefit Cosmetics global brow expert Jared Bailey. When the professionals do it, they use a perm solution to chemically relax the curl and bend in your brow hairs, and the result is a #wokeuplikethis version of boy brow—but you can replicate this without having to drop roughly $90 on the treatment. To get the brow lamination look from home, Healy and Bailey have some genius ideas for how you can recreate brow lamination with what
Month: January 2020
How ‘eating jet lag’ messes with your health every Monday
January 23, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC As soon as it hits 5 p.m. on Friday, the rigid rules of the work week are thrown out the window. No more self-imposed curfew to make sure you get up in time for work. No more meal prepping. Weekends are for fun, not guidelines. But on Monday, you pay the price. Not to be a total buzzkill, but as you can imagine, going off the rails on the weekend comes with a catch. According to a new study from the University of Barcelona, published in the science journal Nutrients, many tend to eat irregularly on the weekends, varying the time to eat instead of the set meal times they tend to stick to during the week. This, researchers say, causes what they call “eating jet lag,” creating an imbalance between your biological clock and nutrition. According to the study, when food is eaten at unusual hours, nutrients aren’t metabolized as efficiently. This may be one reason why people who have unusual work schedules are at a greater risk for gaining weight and developing other health problems. “Eating late at night can have significant metabolic effects,” says Casey Means, MD. She explains that melatonin—which is secreted at night—can negatively impact insulin levels. “This is why, in studies, identical meals eaten at night—when melatonin is in higher concentrations—versus in the morning have very different glucose responses, with higher glucose responses at night.” Beyond the time to eat, double board certified functional integrative doctor Bindiya Gandhi,
How to wash your delicate sweaters *without* dry cleaning (which is the worst)
January 23, 2020 at 12:30AM by CWC As a child/teen, I didn’t have many clothes that were “dry clean only” or delicates. In fact, my family made a pointed effort not to buy anything for me that had complicated washing instructions. Now, as an adult, I am allowed to buy whatever I want—bring on the delicates and dry clean onlys. The issue: I wash my clothes via a coin-op washing machine that I trust with my delicate sweaters about as much as I trust a guy on a dating app who says he is sapiosexual. That is, exactly zero percent. So my options are to take it to the dry cleaners, which would be terrible for the environment, never wash it, which would be terrible for my dating life, or hand wash it in my 1940s-era little yellow bathtub, which would be terrible for my dignity. (Though, of course, I have done the last one.) I talked to a few experts to get their take on how to wash delicate sweaters without dry cleaning. “Most garments labeled for dry cleaning can be cleaned at home,” says Marilee Nelson, co-founder of Branch Basics. (That’s right, “dry clean only” is a myth.) “We recommend washing in cold water with a gentle cleaning solution, just gently swish the garment through the solution to loosen soil and lift stains.” She cautions to be especially careful with anything silk or super delicate—meaning don’t twist, wring, scrub, or otherwise agitate the fibers. “Lay flat to dry
Yes, organic food has pesticides—but that shouldn’t scare you off of veggies
January 23, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC True or false: Organic produce is always grown without pesticides. If you answered true…sorry, but you’ve got it twisted. Surprising, right? The truth is that many organic farmers rely on pesticides and herbicides—substances used protect crops from insects, weeds, and infections—from a relatively small list that’s regularly vetted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But that doesn’t mean that organic food is unsafe to eat. Here’s the lowdown about pesticides in organic food. Why do we use pesticides again? Even with the best farming practices, it’s hard to control every potential pest problem in food production. “Pests threaten farmers’ livelihoods,” says Mary Ann Rose, PhD, director of the Pesticide Safety Education Program at the Ohio State University Extension, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. “We’d all like pesticide residues to be zero, but it’s not realistic. It would be very difficult to produce the amount of food we do in the United States without it.” Pesticides and herbicides help control the potentially harmful mold, mildew, fungi, weeds, bacteria, insects, and rodents that can damage crops or carry plant diseases. “Each farm’s ecosystem is unique and responds differently to pest control methods. For some organic farms, pesticides are the best option,” says registered dietitian-nutritionist Malina Malkani, RDN, CDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and creator of Solve Picky Eating. That said, organic farmers only use pesticides after other preventive, less invasive measures fail, Malkani adds. The U.S. Department of
A cardiologist says that you should start paying attention to *this* metric on your Apple Watch
January 22, 2020 at 11:26PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLWnmow8atw] “A wakeup call.” That’s what What the Wellness host Ella Dove dubbed her heart rate monitor in our latest episode. We called it in our 2020 trends: This year, more than ever before, your health will be in the palm of your hands (and on your wrist). Thanks to new innovations in wearable technology, we can now track everything from our sleep to our menstrual cycles. But though our wearables have leveled up from run-of-the-mill step counters (I mean, you can now use your FitBit to pay for your coffee), the OG metric that they set out to track from the beginning—your heart rate—is still the most important one of all. To show us why, Dove tested an Apple Watch ($399) over the course of a month—and during three very different fitness classes—to see what it would tell her about her fitness levels. But why is this intel worth keeping track of, in your workouts and beyond? “In general, your heart rate gives you an overall picture of your health and wellbeing, and tells you how good your cardiovascular fitness is,” says cardiologist Jennifer Haythe, MD. And one metric worth watching, in addition to your maximum and average hart rate, is your heart rate variability. Heart rate variability (or “HRV”) measures the specific changes, in milliseconds, in the time between two successive heart beats. “People whose heart rates are faster are gong to have a lower HRV, because their hearts will
The best-selling foundations at Sephora all have one thing in common
January 22, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC With brands like Glossier taking a minimalist approach to makeup, we’re seeing the “no makeup makeup look” take over. And while some are loving BB creams and CC creams, others couldn’t imagine using just a barely-there foundation. Some of us prefer a little more coverage, and that’s okay. People turn to the beauty industry to look and feel like the best versions of themselves, and if you get that wearing a fuller-coverage foundation, you’re in good company—medium-to-full coverage foundations dominate Sephora’s best sellers. Whether you’re looking to better cover blemishes or dark spots, need your makeup to last all night long, or just love a fierce finish, a foundation with more coverage is your friend. The top medium-to-full coverage foundations to buy at Sephora 1. Fenty Beauty PRO FILT’R SOFT MATTE LONGWEAR FOUNDATION, $35 With 50 shades, this matte foundation rocked the beauty world in 2018. This long-lasting foundation is made with climate-adaptive technology to help it stand up against sweat and humidity. Because of it’s buildable medium-to-full coverage formula, one Well+Good editor says it can make your skin feel more radiant on a good day, but also give you maximum coverage when you need it. 2. Armani Beauty LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION, $64 This buildable medium coverage foundation is made with Micro-fil technology pigments, which lay flat allowing for a second-skin effect. It’s in a natural finish, which is especially perfect if you have dry skin and want full coverage in a non-drying
An anti-inflammatory expert’s top 5 food swaps under $5
January 22, 2020 at 06:30PM by CWC While inflammatory ingredients do hide in a lot of ready-made foods, the good news is that sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet doesn’t have to mean making everything you eat yourself or having a big food budget. Anti-inflammatory health coach Jenny Carr is on a mission to spread this mission to the masses. Her books—Piece of Cake: The Secret to an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and The Clean-Eating Kid—are full of tips on making anti-inflammatory eating easy, including lots of her fave grocery store finds. Here, Carr reveals five of her favorite food swaps. As you’ll see, cutting out inflammatory foods doesn’t mean living a life of boring meals, or even skipping dessert. Anti-inflammatory foods you for under $5 1. LUNDBERG ORGANIC LONG BRAIN BROWN RICE, $5 As far as staples go, Carr says this one is an all-star. “Long grain means it’s less processed, and organic is extremely important for brown rice, as arsenic can be readily found in non-organic rice,” she says. “Cook this with a little virgin coconut oil and sea salt for a delicious flavor.” 2. AMY’S ORGANIC LENTIL SOUP, $3 If you’re looking for an anti-inflammatory meal that can be made in five minutes flat, this is it. This heat-and-serve soup has an ingredients list that’s straight forward and simple; besides veggies, all it has is extra-virgin olive oil, bay leaves, and sea salt. “This is my favorite soup swap,” Carr says. “It’s full of protein, free of processed sugar—which is
How learning to care less in all aspects of life can be the ultimate healthy boundary
January 22, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC I’m taking a personally led crash course in how to stop caring (or, at least, care less). It’s called the “Hide Alerts,” and I love it. I have an empath’s heart, an anxious idler’s brain, and the lungs of someone who visits the gym once every three weeks, so—rest assured—I get drained running around, trying to fix everyone’s problems and meet every expectation foisted on me. That’s why keeping push notifications—text, email, social media, you name it—to a minimum whenever possible is a basic for of self-preservation. While what works for me may not work for you, what’s key for setting any healthy boundary—personal, professional, or otherwise—is striking the sweet spot of, “I can care about you and still care about me.” “Some boundaries are specific, like blocking someone on social media,” says clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “Other boundaries might depend on how you’re feeling that day. If you’re having a low-stress day, you might have more time to listen to someone’s problems, but when you’re already having a stressful day, you might only have so much to give.” Of course, the natural caretaker may have a hard time turning people down and steering clear of emotional vampires, and the conscientious employee have a hard time not bringing home work. So if you’re find it hard to emotionally and physically de-invest and understand how to stop caring so much, find tips below for setting up little fences in both your personal life and your
The 3 best stretches to soothe swayback posture, according to a physical therapist
January 22, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC Stand in front of a mirror for a sec. If you’re unintentionally sticking out your belly and butt and your hips are forward, you could have a swayback posture and not even know it. According to Danielle Weis, DPT, a physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist at Spring Forward Physical Therapy, it’s a type of back posture where your pelvis is shifted forward and rotated slightly backward with excessive rounding in the mid-back and upper part of the lumbar spine. Whether swayback posture is your body’s natural anatomical alignment or a result of poor posture, it can be the reason why you’re experiencing aches and pain on the regular. “Swayback can be painful because this posture positions the spine and pelvis in a suboptimal alignment. It throws off the body’s center of gravity, which makes it more difficult for the spinal and gluteal muscles to activate, support, and function,” says Dr. Weis. “This position also creates tightness and restriction in muscles, including the hamstrings, chest, and anterior neck muscles. Over time, it can also causes stiffness to form between the vertebral segments throughout the spine, which can cause neck, upper, mid, and lower back pain, as well as hip and knee pain.” The good news is swayback posture can be improved—and even corrected! “Think about setting your shoulders down and back, keeping your ears over your shoulders, and bringing those forward-set hips backward. Aim to activate the core to provide back support,” says Dr.
The healthiest canned goods to always have in your pantry, according to a dietitian
January 22, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC We all know about the merits of eating in-season and shopping for produce at your local farmer’s market, but it’s worth pointing out that canned food is seriously underrated by the healthy eating crowd. (Perhaps even more so than the B-sides of Carly Rae Jepson’s Emotions album…) The short list of canned foods’ accomplishments: they have a longer shelf life, help cut down on cooking time, and are often inexpensive, says Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD. Plus, “for those looking to follow more of a plant-based diet, using things like canned chickpeas, and other beans in your meals is a great way to add plant-based protein and more fiber to the diet,” she adds. Even if you are a major meat lover, those canned goods can enhance your meal in terms of more nutrition (like fiber!) and flavor—so long as you choose wisely. “I would say if there is a low sodium or no-salt-added version of the canned food you are grabbing at the grocery store, go for that one. If not be sure to rinse and drain all canned items to remove some of the salt,” says Michalczyk. This keeps heart health in check and lowers bloating and water retention. What’s more, “BPA [an environmental toxin present in small amounts in many canned goods] has potential health risks which is why you want to look for cans that say ‘BPA free,’” she says. “Many companies have taken initiatives to remove BPA, however I would