January 16, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvwbOYldsFo] People tend to forget that yoga is actually a sneaky butt-sculpting workout. Flowing into various poses helps to mobilize and strengthen your entire body, plus it’s benefitting your mind through mindful breathing, but so many of the moves require a huge amount of glute strength. In our newest episode of Well+Good’s Good Moves, yoga instructor Andrea Russell shares a 12-minute vinyasa yoga sequence that works all your muscles, but definitely puts a special focus on the glutes. “Glutes are super important because they help to stabilize your outer hips, your lower back, and keep you well balanced,” she says. “This is super, super important for a really good yoga practice.” To get your butt burning (in a good way), keep scrolling for Russell’s yoga for glutes workout. Try this yoga for glutes workout for yourself 1. Leg reaches: Start on all fours, shoulders above the wrists and hips above the knees. Tuck your toes and press into your palms as you reach your left leg back. Your ankle should be the same height as your hip. Broaden your collarbones, exhale, and reach your leg out to the side, toes facing the front, ankle in line with the hip. Inhale and reach your leg back, then exhale and tap your toes to the floor just outside of the right ankle. Flow through this sequence three times, making sure the right hip doesn’t pop up too far. 2. Downward dog split: Reach your foot down towards the
Month: January 2020
If you’re shopping for CBD supplements, here’s what to look for
January 16, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC ICYMI: CBD is big—like, billion dollar industry, can’t-stop-talking-about-it big. Which means, unless you’ve been totally tuned out, you’re probably clued into the three letters that are taking over the wellness world. But just knowing the basics on all things cannabidiol isn’t quite enough if you’re on the hunt for CBD supplements to add to your wellness routine for good. It’s time for you to start doing some investigative work to sniff out the details of what’s lingering within each milligram, to figure out which products to add to cart and which ones to pass on. To help you shop like a total hemp know-it-all, Melanie Goldsmith, CEO of Pollen—maker of CBD gummies that are tasty and effective—is sharing her expert insight on what goes into creating CBD eats, so that you’re better prepared for the next time you’re face-to-face with the supplement aisle. “Our mission is to help you feel your own kind of good—whether ‘feeling good’ means sleeping better, having a bit more energy to make it to the gym before work, stressing less, or smiling more,” Goldsmith says. Tune into what she has to say about CBD shopping (she knows what’s up)—so you can start feeling that good. Keep reading for 3 things to look for when shopping for CBD supplements (or gummies). 1. Appetizing flavors What fun is a gummy supplement if it doesn’t pack a flavor reminiscent of your childhood candy-monger days? That means you’re going to want to find
Championship runner Mary Cain’s training trick is just 3 steps—and is totally worth stealing for yourself
January 16, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Training motivation ebbs and flows over the course of days, weeks, months, and years. That’s why runner and junior world champion Mary Cain (one of Well+Good’s 2020 Changemakers) entered the new year with a fresh method of self-motivation—one completely worth adopting for your own fitness outlook. “My new year’s resolution is to be more positive. I have a nasty habit of negative self-talk that I have been working to overcome and am prioritizing in this new year,” wrote Cain in an Instagram caption. “To support my resolution, I have a new training trick. Every day, I pick three words: a who, a how, and a what. The Who is someone I love or inspires me, the How is a form cue, and the What is a motivational word. When training gets tough I lean on these words.” Cain’s three-step approach is just plain smart. The “who” means she’s dedicating the training to others (and not just herself). The “how”cues her to keep her body safe and her performance up. And invoking a motivational word has science to back it up. Early research suggests that repeating one word again and again in your head quiets the part of your mind that’s always planning, worrying about the past, or envisioning the future. In other words, it plants you firmly in your run, swim, climb, or activity of choice so that you can give it your all. View this post on Instagram Last night,
This healthy chili recipe is delicious, loaded with fiber, *and* gut-friendly
January 16, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC Chili is easy to make, loaded with healthy ingredients, and the very definition of a comfort food. There’s really only one downside: a hefty bowl of greasy ground beef, topped with cheese, and sour cream can leave you feeling bloated, gassy, and lethargic. That’s exactly why one gut health expert created a healthy chili recipe that will gives your digestion a boost. According to Amanda Sauceda, RDN, a California-based registered dietitian who focuses on gut health, the key to creating a gut-friendly chili is loading up on protein and fiber. “A hangry gut is not a happy gut, and protein keeps our gut happy. It’s the main macronutrient that makes us feel full and satisfied, and you get a double dose in this chili with shredded chicken and kidney beans,” she says. “The kidney beans and other veggies count as fiber foods. Think of fiber like lifting weights for your gut. It helps keep your gut in shape and keeps things moving along, which is especially important if you struggle with constipation.” Another perk of Sauceda’s chili is that it also contains onions and garlic, which are great for the gut due to being prebiotics. “Prebiotics are a specific type of fiber that’s actually food for our good gut bacteria,” she says. “But keep in mind that if someone is following a low-FODMAP diet, which is sometimes used for people with gut problems, this recipe would not be appropriate during the elimination phase,
Is your fixed mind-set holding you back in life? Here are 4 steps to change that
January 16, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC I grew up being quiet and shy, and while there’s definitely nothing wrong with either of those traits, I had a sneaking suspicion they were holding me back from feeling optimally fulfilled, personally and professionally. During my teens and early twenties, year after year after year, “overcome shyness” was at the top of my list of New Year’s resolutions, yet each year, I fell short of my achieving my best intentions. Why? I didn’t know it at the time, but deep down, I had a fixed mind-set. A fixed mind-set, a term popularized Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, is the belief that your skills, characteristics, and intelligence are fixed and can’t be improved upon. It’s the “this is just the way things are” mentality. In other words, I didn’t actually believe that I had the ability to overcome shyness, therefore I didn’t even try, let alone achieve it. As you can imagine, this mode of thinking, no matter what your goal or intention is, does not set you up to flourish, and can rear its ugly head in many different areas of life. A growth mind-set, on the other hand, means believing you can change and improve any facet of yourself. “The reason people with growth mind-sets win in life is because they believe everything can evolve, change, and improve.” —Jill Stanton, entrepreneurial consultant “The reason people with growth mind-sets win in life is because
In a ranking of the best countries for women, the U.S. doesn’t even make the top 10—here’s why
January 15, 2020 at 11:46PM by CWC In a new ranking of the world’s best countries, the United States isn’t first—it’s seventh. And among the best counties for women, it doesn’t even make the top 10 of 80 nations considered—it’s fifteenth, according to U.S. News and World Report. (At least it’s still first when it comes to “power”?) To determine the best countries for women, U.S. News considered each nation’s stance on human rights, gender equality, income equality, progressivism, and safety. These five attributes carried equal weight. American citizens enjoy plenty of privileges others around the world do not. But as the world’s most powerful country, we can do better. The survey used to score and rank countries was developed by BAV Group and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in consultation with U.S. News and World Report. Over 20,000 people from across the globe were presented with 65 country attributes and asked how closely they associated an attribute with a particular nation. The attributes were grouped into nine subrankings, including citizenship (which considered human rights, gender equality, and progressivism) and quality of life (which looked at income equality and safety, among others). Women’s reproductive rights are human rights. And the onslaught of proposed, passed, and blocked anti-abortion legislation in 2019 wasn’t overlooked by the rankings. “This is a deliberate attempt to bring a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade and to end the right to access safe, legal abortions in this country,” said Leana Wen, MD, the
Williamsburg is basically ‘Wellnessburg,’ and we have the healthy travel guide to prove it
January 15, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyrxwk3JFsI] Ready to plan your wellness-rich Williamsburg itinerary? Watch the video for inspo. There isn’t much Well+Good video producer and host Ella Dove hasn’t tried in the name of wellness (horseback yoga, anyone?) So naturally, we tend to trust her opinions on what’s worth trying and what’s plain weird—no matter where we are or what we’re considering giving a shot. That’s precisely why we’re taking you on a new adventure: What the Wellness: Travel Guides, where Dove visits her go-to wellness destinations in her favorite cities and neighborhoods across the country, highlighting her favorite healthy locales. In this inaugural edition, we’re touring four places in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which may as well be called “Wellnessburg.” One stop along the way? East River Pilates. Even if you’ve never been to Williamsburg, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of East River Pilates founder Kimmy Kellum and strengthened and toned your body thanks to her tough Trainer of the Month Club sets. If possible, though, swinging by the IRL outpost of East River Pilates for a class is worth your time. And not just because it offers a variety of options for its reformer classes (like springboard classes and privates sessions), but because, as Dove points out, it fosters such an inclusive and uplifting community. “Every time I walk in here, I just feel, like, a rush of good energy,” Dove says. “I just think it’s a really fun place to…torture myself in a Pilates class.”
This is the age with the least happiness in life—here’s why a psychologist says it’s actually a magic year
January 15, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Happiness in life isn’t a constant state of being. It’s completely normal for it to rise and fall as time goes by. The year you fall in love might represent the peak of happiness; the year you lose a loved one is likely a low point. We joke that the years before the reality of work and bills are the height of happiness. Remember when getting mail was fun and not a reminder to pay your Internet bill? And having a job sounded glamorous and didn’t involve long hours at the office? According to a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, it might carry some weight. Researchers reviewed data from 132 countries and found a happiness curve. Happiness falls after the age of 18, reaching its lowest point in the late 40s. The data shows that for most people the year when they feel unhappiest is 47. Many reported feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, lacking self-confidence, and feeling under strain during this time of life—a recipe for the classic “midlife crisis” stereotype. There are very real reasons some feel this way: some are under financial stress or perhaps aren’t where they thought they would be at this stage of their lives. But 47 is actually a magic year, one that should be celebrated, according to author of The Sunny Side Up, Lauren Cook, MMFT. Just a few reasons to find happiness in life during your late 40s, according to a marriage
7 delicious, creative ways to eat hummus when you’re tired of carrot and celery sticks
January 15, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC We called chickpeas as one of the biggest food and health trends of 2020. The humble legume, once relegated to a cold add-on at salad bars, is now the star ingredient in a wide array of delicious plant-based eats, including chips, pastas, and of course everyone’s favorite healthy dip: hummus. However, as delicious as hummus is, there are only so many carrot sticks and pita chips you can possibly dip into it before getting bored. While the creamy chickpea spread has certainly landed itself on top of the snack popularity list, its pairing options aren’t exactly plentiful…or at least that’s how it seems. Turns out, there’s actually a lot more you can do with hummus besides using it as a dip. Given the snack’s health benefits, it might make you want to rethink treating hummus as just a side dish. Lisa Richards, CNC, a nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet, says hummus is a heavyweight in the healthy food arena. “It’s a nutrient-dense snack that provides a significant amount of other nutrients, specifically minerals that are often missing from even a healthy diet,” she says. “For example, one serving of hummus provides almost half the manganese recommended dietary intake (RDI) at 39 percent. Manganese acts as an antioxidant the body protecting us from oxidative stress, but is also vital to bone health and brain function. A serving also contains nearly 15 percent of the RDI for iron.” In this case, the recommended
This interactive graphic shows how music makes you feel 13 distinct emotions
January 15, 2020 at 05:59PM by CWC When I’m feeling angry and need something to match my energy, I turn to Rico Nasty’s special brand of punk rap. When I’m ready to calm down, I’ll switch to a more soothing artist, like Nao or Alina Baraz. I know I’m not alone in this—whether you’re having a party or just want to zen out, you pick a playlist to fit the vibe. The impact of music on emotions isn’t a new field of study, but researchers at University of California, Berkeley, have taken it a step further by mapping how music evokes a range of emotional responses. Led by post-doctoral researcher Alan Cowen, PhD, a researcher at Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, the team of scientists asked nearly 3,000 people from the U.S. and China to record the feelings they associated with different songs, examining the responses to see how consistent the emotional associations were across cultures. “We arrived at the findings that at least 13 different emotions were reliably conveyed by the music—more than people have thought,” says Dr. Cowen. The identifiabel emotions include: amusing, annoying, anxious/tense, beautiful, calm/relaxing/serene, dreamy, energizing, erotic/desirous, indignant/defiant, joyful/cheerful, sad/depressing, scary/fearful, and triumphant/heroic. Take for example an instrumental sample of “The Morning” by The Weeknd. Thirty-seven percent of the listeners found it “dreamy,” 33 percent found it “romantic and loving,” 30 percent found it “erotic and desirous,” and 27 percent found it “calm, relaxing and serene.” On the other end of the spectrum, fully 80 percent of