January 28, 2020 at 07:31PM by CWC Acne is straight up the most common skin condition there is, but not all zits are the same. In fact there are many different kinds of acne, which can make dealing with pimples a tricky venture. Because while certain products can make one kind of pimple vanish overnight, they might be good-for-nothing when it comes to dealing with another type. It can legit feel like you’re playing a game of Clue to figure out what will make a given spot go away, which is frustrating (to say the very least). So we tapped dermatologists to get the low-down on treating the most common acne types that they see. “When we talk about acne, we are often referring to the most common type, which is acne vulgaris,” says Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. Acne vulgaris is the medical term for inflammation from a blocked pore, and within this broad umbrella category, there are four major categories: comedonal, inflammatory, nodular, and hormonal (though all acne is technically a result of hormones). Besides these, acne mechanica, or breakouts you can get from things like sweat or friction, is also fairly common according to dermatologists. While it sounds overwhelming, Dr. Libby notes that most patients predominantly have one of the above types of acne (or some combination). “If the patient has a combination of acne types, I’ll combine different recommended treatments to figure out what works best,” she says. “For example, some patients have
Month: January 2020
8 healthy condiments you should keep in your pantry, according to RDs
January 28, 2020 at 06:25PM by CWC Your fridge is jam-packed with healthy flavor-boosting condiments, from your go-to nutty pesto to your beloved Sriracha. But if you’re not taking full advantage of all that space in your pantry too, you’re seriously missing out. There are plenty of condiments to store on those shelves that can immediately take your meals from a 7 to a 10. For registered dietitians, the pantry is basically a treasure chest loaded with nutritional gold. There’s room for healthy cereals, canned goods, nut butters, and of course the condiments you never thought to store there. If you want to eat like a health expert, these are the condiments you’ll always find behind those wooden doors. The 8 condiments RDs always store in the pantry 1. Mustard There are so many different types of mustard, and you should take full advantage. “I love mustard because it’s a low-calorie condiment,” says Tony Castillo, MS, RDN, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition. “I always spread it on my sandwiches to give them a nice flavor.” Try this option from Annie’s that doesn’t contain any added sweeteners. Then after you open it, pop it in the refrigerator. 2. Red pepper sauce There’s no better way to spice up your life than this red pepper sauce. “Mina Harissa Mild Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce is made with six simple ingredients: red chili pepper, red bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. I love adding it to eggs, vegetables, soups, fish, and meat,” says
Avocado leaf tea is now officially a *thing*—but is it healthy or is it all hype?
January 28, 2020 at 05:20PM by CWC Just when you thought the not-so-humble avocado had been exploited to the point where it could be exploited no further (e.g. avocado hummus, avocado mayo, avocado brownies, avocado pancakes, avocado face masks, avocado hair oil, etc., etc., etc.), I’m here to announce that avocado leaf tea is here. Though they’re not the first to utilize the leaves of avocado trees for their health benefits, a pair of avocado farmers in California recently created a patent-pending process to create single-serving teabags which optimally deliver the plant’s nutritional benefits. But are said benefits real, or just hype hoping to piggyback off the popularity of everyone’s favorite fruit? According to the makers of Avocado Tea—which won first place in the “People’s Tea Choice Awards” at the World Tea Expo—the stuff’s packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, and serotonin. According to the makers of Avocado Tea—which won first place in the “People’s Tea Choice Awards” at the World Tea Expo—the stuff’s packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, and serotonin. As a result of this allegedly potent brew, avocado leaf tea is purported to support kidney health and also heart health (with allegedly three times the catchetins as green tea), help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduce the incidence of seizures, among other things. Some small studies (linked in paragraph above) do support these findings; however, Brittany Modell, MS, RD, and founder of Brittany Modell Nutrition and Wellness, offers caveats to this research. “Similar to many studies, studies
The CBD lip balm benefits dermatologists want you to know about
January 28, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC You can find CBD in practically every product imaginable. Sometimes, it’s serving an actual purpose (like for showering or for muscle soreness), and sometimes it’s more of a marketing ploy (looking at you, CBD leggings). But experts agree that the CBD lip balm benefits are legit, and when your lips get extra dry this winter, it could be worth slathering on. When used in a lip balm, CBD extract works to moisturize dry, damaged lips. “CBD is very nourishing and has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe chapped skin,” says Claudia Mata, co-founder of Vertly. Much like the most dermatologist-recommended ingredient to heal chapped lips (beeswax!), CBD is another top contender for hydration. “With a well-made CBD lip balm, the CBD oil will seal moisture in your lips, preventing them from becoming dry or flaky,” says Gretchen Frieling, MD, triple-board certified dermatopathologist. It does this by acting as an antibacterial and an antioxidant. For example, Dr. Frieling points to a study that reveals that CBD contains antibacterial compounds that help keep your lips protected. As an antioxidant, “CBD can help skin stabilize free radicals and [better protect itself from] overexposure to the elements,” she says. “It can also help reduce redness and irritation around the lip area, and can be helpful if you are experiencing cold sores, the aftermath of allergies, or have inflamed lips due to a dehydrated epidermis.” When shopping for a CBD-spiked lip balm to add to your collection, it’s
Strengthen your feet, ankles, and legs with this alphabet workout
January 28, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC As someone with flat arches and weak ankles, I should regularly exercise my feet. But, I never do, and I can’t even use time as an excuse. Whether it’s balancing on one foot or walking in heels, working your lower leg is relatively simple, and can be done just about anywhere. Podiatrist Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, and Vionic Innovation Lab member, says one way to strengthen your feet and ankles is as easy as writing the ABC’s—literally. She recommends drawing the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. “This is really good for the overall strengthening of all four major muscle groups in your lower leg,” Dr. Sutera says. Quick anatomy lesson: there are four muscle areas located in your lower leg. The tibialis anterior in the front, the tibialis posterior on the inside, the calf at the back, and the peroneal on the outside. All four of these are worked when you do the alphabet exercise. “These muscles promote stability, prevent sprains, prevent falls, and prevent overuse injuries from exercising,” she says. You should perform this exercise seated, so feel free to do this while you’re typing away at your desk, or chilling on the couch. Extend your leg straight in front of you with your knee locked, and your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Draw the letters of the alphabet using your big toe as the pointer, but keep in mind that all of the motion is actually happening at the
The luckiest day of 2020 for each zodiac sign, according to an astrologer
January 28, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC In this dawning time of the still-new decade, it’s natural to feel a welcome sense of renewed hope about all the things, personal and global. While troubling issues (like fires and politics, to name two big examples) persist, certain auspicious astrological days are worth bookmarking in your calendar to keep that hope alive. So, perhaps you’re curious about what the luckiest day of the year for you might entail? Well, that largely depends on Jupiter. “Typically, we associate the planet Jupiter with luck, and if you want to know your personal luckiest day of the year, look at the day when the sun meets up with your natal Jupiter,” says astrologer Rachel Lang. (You can run your birth chart for free here, but you might benefit from meeting with an astrologer to help you find the specific Jupiter-in-the-sun date.) “This is going to be the luckiest day of each year for you, and it’s typically a time when good things happen.” “We associate the planet Jupiter with luck, and if you want to know your personal luckiest day of the year, look at the day when the sun meets up with your natal Jupiter.” —astrologer Rachel Lang. In addition to Jupiter, Lang suggests keeping an eye on Venus, which signifies times when you’re apt to enjoy life and experience pleasure (ahem, pleasure). Since she says we all benefit when Jupiter and Venus relate, keep an eye on March 27 and October 19 as general
Do you know where the ingredients in your supplements are grown? Here’s why you should definitely look into it
January 28, 2020 at 10:30AM by CWC There’s a specific routine you go through when shopping for the perfect avocado: Check out the color to estimate its ripeness, pick it up to feel how firm it is, read the sticker to see whether it’s grown organically, and repeat until you find one that meets your avo-toast standards. That process can apply to pretty much every piece of produce on your grocery list, but do you run your supplements through the same wellness litmus test? Similar to fruits and veggies that supply your body with nutrients to power you through, well, life—supplements deliver nutrients that, newsflash: are often sourced from plants. So don’t you want to know whether those ingredients are grown in such a way that they’d pass your grocery store inspection? Do you run your supplements through the same wellness litmus test as your fruits and veggies? “Since supplements are not regulated the same way pharmaceuticals are, it’s important to know yours have been tested for quality standards such as identity, potency, and contaminants,” says Adrienne Dowd, RD and health coach. “Making sure your supplement has been tested and verified for quality can ensure that what is on the label is actually what’s in the bottle.” (The reason we have trust issues, tbh.) If you notice there isn’t a mention of where a product was grown, you might want to skip over that bottle because Dowd says, “manufacturers that source from quality locations are generally proud to display this
3 ways to get over gym anxiety, because promise: No one is looking at you
January 28, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC In the age of “if you didn’t Instagram your workout, did it really count?” fitness can feel like an all-or-nothing proposition—but it shouldn’t. Together with Michelob ULTRA—the next-level light beer that wants to take the stress out of staying fit—we’re exploring ways to be active that you’ll actually enjoy. Because being healthy doesn’t require fitness to be your whole life, just one (fun) part of it. Stop us if any of these thoughts sound familiar: I swear that mammoth at the squat rack is staring at me again. These leggings are definitely see-through. I’m sure my workout looks so stupid to the trainers here. Please, please, please, nobody talk to me. If your inner monologue on the gym floor is more “help me” than “hell yes,” you’re not alone. Among its endless other benefits, working out is supposed to be empowering—and yet research (and most likely personal experience) shows that the stress of exercising in an uncomfortable environment can cancel out any of the goodness that your gym sesh has to offer. Luckily for those who would rather take an Uber with their ex than lift weights in public, there are plenty of ways to sweeten your relationship with the gym. To help, we teamed up with with Michelob ULTRA to get pro-level tips on reducing gym anxiety from Joanna Castro, certified personal trainer and coach at Body Space Fitness—because working out is supposed to make you feel good, not completely stress you out. Keep
The way we talk about skin is taking a cue from mental health—here’s why
January 28, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC Once upon a time not so long ago, the words we used to talk about our complexions revolved around physical markers. It was dry, oily, red, scaly, congested, or some combination of all of these things. In a fairly recent phenomenon, however, there’s been a shift. The way that we talk about skin has largely come to mimic the way that we talk about mental health. Adjectives previously reserved to describe an individual’s personality or emotional state are now tapped to talk about how our largest organ is looking and feeling. We say it’s stressed out, tired, temperamental, angry, irritated, and the list again goes on (and on and on). But what exactly is the reason behind this, and why does it matter? The mind-skin connection really all boils down to biology. “We know from a medical standpoint that the brain and skin have a common embryonic origin,” explains Josie Howard, MD, a San Francisco psychiatrist with an expertise in psycho-dermatology. According to her, that means that when an embryo is forming in the womb, similar cells are involved in the creation of both the brain and skin. That link continues to manifest in very apparent ways throughout our lifetimes. “The history of skin and mental health isn’t a short one,” says Richard Fried, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and clinical psychologist in Yardley, PA. “One hundred years ago it was stated that acne causes more [mental] suffering than [physical suffering]. Within the past
Why eating what you love can—and should—be part of a healthy diet
January 28, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC It’s safe to say that for a long time, “healthy” food didn’t always make the mouth water. Watery, low-fat milk, rubbery tofu with no seasonings, and stomach-churning macrobiotic salads were long the staples of health-conscious households, none of which were about to win any Michelin stars. While culinary science has certainly improved leaps and bounds since the bland tofu dogs of the ’90s, the perception that healthy eating requires a bit of a flavor sacrifice endures; that to make the healthiest possible choices, you have to be okay with eating vegetables that you can’t stand, or forever eschewing desserts in favor of “healthified” versions that taste like dirt. But some nutrition experts argue that eating for pleasure, and what you love, can actually be super healthy. “I think it’s really important to promote a greater sense of enjoying food in American culture,” says Brad Turnwald, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of psychology at Stanford University. “In other cultures that also have a lot less chronic disease than we do—France is kind of the canonical example—they eat for pleasure there, and they [generally] don’t have this labeling of certain foods as ‘good’ and certain ones as ‘bad.’ Food is meant to be enjoyed.” That idea—of eating for enjoyment—is “a critical piece that health professionals [have unintentionally] screwed up on for the last couple decades,” says Christopher D. Gardner, PhD, director of dies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and a professor