February 17, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC If there was a condiment popularity contest, I’d put all bets on chipotle mayo. It has the perfect creamy texture, just the right amount of heat, and tastes great on everything from burgers to kale salads. While typical mayonnaise isn’t the healthiest option due to its high-calorie and high-fat nature, there’s a plant-based alternative that’s so healthy you can enjoy it every day. Tara Patel of My Vegetarian Family is a whiz at making nutritious plant-based recipes, and her vegan chipotle mayo is no exception. Instead of using a store-bought dairy- and egg-free mayo option as a base, she decided to prepare everything from scratch. Even so, she managed to create a mix that only requires a handful of ingredients and hardly any time. After soaking your cashews, you simply add them to a blender with your other ingredients: canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, salt, and water. That’s it. Then after a quick blend, you can use the chipotle mayo to add a major flavor bomb to all the dishes you eat on the regular. “My vegan chipotle mayo is the perfect plant-based alternative for dipping raw or air-fried veggies, layering into your favorite wrap, or when you simply need a guilt-free dip or dressing with a little kick to change things up,” she says. You can even use it as a salad dressing. Because you only need a little bit for your meals, you’ll have a big batch in the
Month: February 2020
This at-home Pilates lower body workout will set your legs *and* glutes on fire
February 17, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyT4nGIJF5I] People tend to associate Pilates workouts with a stronger core. While that’s 100-percent the core of the fitness modality, certain Pilates exercises can also strengthen your lower body, too (Pilates is full of surprising benefits, y’all). To stand as proof, SolidCore trainer Triana Brown, our Trainer of the Month, is walking us through a Pilates lower body workout that fires up your quads, glutes, inner and outer thighs, and hamstrings, right along with your core muscles. To up the ante and add resistance to the already challenging leg and butt workout, Brown recommends that you grab some sliders (a towel works, too) as a quick way to get your muscles quaking. Hot tip: It’s going to feel intense, but take a deep breath and keep going. “Push through that burning sensation,” says Brown. “It’s a mental game, and you’ve got to talk yourself through it.” Fifteen minutes later, you’ll be stronger for it. Keep scrolling for the full workout. Try this Pilates lower body workout for yourself Do each exercise for two minutes each. 1. Plank to pike: First things first: You have to warm up the core before getting to the lower body. Grab your sliders and place them directly underneath your feet in a plank position, hands right underneath your shoulders. Contract your abdominals and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, then slowly lower down so that your hips are in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your abs the entire
I gave up coffee and tried this wellness-boosted tea for a week—here’s what happened
February 17, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC I’ll just come right out and say it: I love coffee. I love the taste, the way it smells, and the act of ordering it at a coffeeshop. Even forking over that extra dollar for oat milk brings me joy. The one thing I don’t love? Feeling like I’m dependent on it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I have an IV of dark roast hooked up to my arm—two cups is usually good enough for me—but lately I’ve needed those 16 ounces to transition from someone who barely hears her sixth alarm to the cheerful, productive, full-of-good-ideas editor I try to be. As a reset, I decided to quit my coffee habit for a week, and tap into the benefits of drinking tea instead. To fuel my new tea habit, I stocked my kitchen cabinet and desk drawer with Celestial Seasonings TeaWell wellness teas, which aren’t your typical English breakfast. I figured if I’m going to give up my beloved coffee for a week, I should probably replace it with something even more beneficial, right? TeaWell teas come in nine distinct flavors—ranging from turmeric spice to ginger mint—each of which boasts benefits such as supporting digestion, immunity, and mental vitality. Less coffee and less brain fog? Totally here for it. Keep scrolling to find out how my week without coffee went, plus my favorite benefits of drinking tea. Photo: TeaWell Drinking tea doesn’t mean no caffeine Let me be clear: While
This Mercury retrograde in Pisces is here to target communication *and* your emotions
February 16, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC The week ahead promises change with Mercury stationing retrograde at 7:53 p.m., EST, on Sunday, February 16, and the sun moving into Pisces on Tuesday, the 18th. The energy of the these events invites us to reconcile pain from the past because the Mercury retrograde slows things down, and the sun in Pisces connects us to our most profound sense of empathy. The combination of these cosmic events may lead to more-sensitive-than-usual feelings, thus opening up the opportunity to forgive past grievances and envision where we wish to dedicate our intentions moving forward. Simultaneously, we can also see the truth from a crystal-clear vantage point. To tune into what might surface for you during this Mercury retrograde in Pisces, which lasts through March 9, consider what’s emerged in your life since Mercury reached 28 degrees of Aquarius, the degree where Mercury will station direct next month. Mercury traveled at this degree of Aquarius on February 1, and as the planet of communication seemingly retraces these degrees (he doesn’t move backward, it’s just an optical illusion), we are asked to revisit the past before forging ahead. So, what dynamics with others have emerged since then? To get clarity about those dynamics, ask yourself the following questions: How have I been evading truth? Where have I been going along to get along? What truth do I need to honor and accept at this moment? To tune into what might surface for you during this Mercury
How to get full-body workout using the cable extension machine at your gym
February 16, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC You’re in the gym. It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday. Nearly every machine is taken. But wait—there’s something off in the distance. Is that… an open cable machine? You dash over, set down your water bottle, and claim your space. So now what? You can do a full-body workout using a cable machine. It’s true! “The cable machine is one of the most versatile and quality pieces of exercise equipment around,” says Justin Roethlingshoefer, CSCS, personal trainer, author, and NHL performance coach. “Many people are not aware of how simple adjustments can create an amazing full-body workout without leaving the 5-foot square space.” He says because the leverage point of the pulleys can be changed, you can work the body through all three planes of motion (frontal, lateral, and transverse) and hit your muscles at different angles. To start, how does a cable machine work? Watch the video below, and then keep reading for Roethlingshoefer’s full-body workout using the cable machine. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22AFyTaVs5g] 5 moves for a full-body workout using the cable machine Complete three sets of the following moves. bicep curl Attachment: rope Place the pulley at the lowest level. Grab the rope in each hand, with your thumbs pointed to the roof. With straight arms, take two steps back to create tension between the weight stack and the cable. Bend your knees and sit your butt back a bit (like your doing a quarter of a squat) with your feet shoulder
I haven’t taken off these sustainably made $25 leggings since I bought them
February 16, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC Truth time: Leggings are probably my favorite article of clothing, which is funny because I used to be such a snob about how “leggings aren’t pants.” Guess what, 2012 Allie: Leggings are pants, and you will soon be wearing them seven days a week. While I may well have a dresser packed with options, these days one pair, in particular, are on my bod 24/7: the H&M Conscious Sport Wrapover Waist Sports Legging, $25. The leggings are part of H&M’s just-launched spring activewear collection that contains dancewear-inspired pieces like leg warmers, bodysuits, and sweats that make me feel like I should be starring in an early aughts dance movie alongside Channing Tatum. Most of the products in the collection are sustainably made with materials like recycled polyester and polyamide, and BCI-grade (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton. This is part of H&M’s ongoing sustainability effort, as the brand plans to use only recycled or sustainably-sourced materials by 2030. Photo: H&M Made with a high rise and a thick waistband, these leggings—which come in light, khaki green and black—don’t roll down when you work out in them, and they don’t get baggy or slide around while you’re moving. I can absolutely see myself wearing the light green leggings (with the matching sports bra, ofc) while explaining to someone that they need to back up their computers and phones, and not engage in any difficult conversations while Mercury is in retrograde. Or when I want to emulate my
This chef-approved grocery store hack will make weeknight cooking so. much. easier.
February 16, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfK9aDhqU_8] Cooking on weeknights isn’t always convenient. After a long day at work, it’s not always easy (or fun) to have to rush home, quickly prep your ingredients, cook the meal, and actually enjoy it in a reasonable amount of time. The so-called “joy of cooking” feels a little far-fetched when there are just so. many. steps. You’re not the only one who falls into this trap—even professional chefs deal with this feeling. On the premiere episode of Well+Good’s new show, Cook With Us, celebrity chef Dale Talde revealed that after a long day of cooking at his restaurant Goosefeather at the Tarrytown House Estate, he relies on shortcuts like pre-cut vegetables, frozen vegetables, and other tricks to get delicious food on the table fast. “As much integrity as I have in my cooking at home, any minute you can save to get food on a plate to either you or your family, it’s like so valuable,” Talde says. His go-to hack that blew the mind of Cook With Us judge Jessie Van Amburg: raiding your favorite supermarket salad bar (oh hey, Whole Foods!) for pre-cut vegetables and other ready-to-go ingredients when time is of the essence. “It’s using really nice salad bars as your mise en place,” he says. “They did all the work for you.” For example, if you hate cutting onions, or don’t feel like buying a whole thing of bean sprouts? Hit up the salad bar and fill
I’m a Sephora beauty director, and I just can’t hide how great these 4 concealers are
February 16, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC In the best of skin times and the worst of skin times, I have always, always swiped on a concealer. The beauty product is one of those that stands the tests of acne, aging, sleepless nights, and every reality in between. And when I talked to Sephora beauty director Jeffrey English, I learned that he, too, has a long and loving partnership with the best concealers. “I’ve always had a really strong relationship to concealer because I feel like—as a male, when you start getting into grooming and you really look into makeup—I think concealer is one of the first products that you grab for because you know you really want quick results, fast,” he says. Over his years as a makeup artist, English has narrowed down the five concealers that never (never!) leave his makeup kit. Curious about what they are? Sephora beauty director Jeffrey English names the 4 best concealers at Sephora 1. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, $30 “I would be remiss not to talk about the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I think that that is the tried-and-true. It’s a Sephora favorite, and it’s really been living and breathing at the Sephora beauty studio,” says English. The formula’s velvety texture makes it stand out among the rest, and once it’s on, it dosen’t budge. “I like this particular product because it’s great for self-setting, so you don’t have to put any powder on top of it to kind of keep it in
Derms explain what to look for in a shampoo for psoriasis
February 16, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC There’s nothing fun about having a flaky, itchy scalp. Some experience small flurries of flakes when their scalp is dry, while others have dandruff, which is caused by yeast on your scalp. There are varying severities of dandruff, but when your scalp is super red and scaly, it might be more than dandruff. Shani Francis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Illinois, says it could be psoriasis. Luckily, you can usually deal with it with a good shampoo for psoriasis. “When psoriasis is on the scalp it looks like, to a person that doesn’t know, really bad dandruff,” she says. “Most people that come into the dermatologist say, ‘I knew this wasn’t just dandruff.’” When you have psoriasis on other parts of your body, and then notice intense scalp flaking, you might immediately think that it’s your psoriasis. But, if you don’t have it anywhere else, it’s easy to assume you just have really bad dandruff, says Dr. Francis. What is scalp psoriasis, and how does it affect hair? Nicole Rogers, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, and hair transplant surgeon based in Louisiana, says that scalp psoriasis forms a dry, white, itchy layer of scale over parts, or all of, the scalp. “It results from a hyper proliferation of skin cells,” she says. “Usually I see it around the back of the scalp, behind the ears and below, but it can occur all over the scalp too.” Dr. Rogers adds that it has to
What being on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces means for your personality
February 15, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Each month with On the Cusp, we point our astrological magnifying glass on all the people born between two zodiac signs. Because when your birthday falls at either the tail end or the very beginning of your sun sign’s season, your personality may be influenced by your cosmic neighbor. Stefanie Iris Weiss Stefanie Iris Weiss, astrologer and co-author of Surviving Saturn’s Return: Overcoming the Most Tumultuous Time of Your Life, is here to illuminate us about what being born on the Aquarius Pisces cusp beans for a person’s psyche. Below, Weiss (who is available for 2020 readings), explains what happens when free-minded, genius-leaning Aquarius signs (January 20 to February 18) mix traits with mix traits with the psychic empath Pisces (February 19 to March 20). This month, our focus is on those born on the Aquarius Pisces Cusp. With an ethereal presence that feels otherworldly, those who teeter on the edge of Aquarius and Pisces—born a few days before the end of Aquarius season or a few days into Pisces season—are some of the most uniquely creative and intuitive people around. “You’re miles ahead of everyone else because all Aquarians are geniuses. But with a touch of the Pisces energy that struggles with boundaries, you drift off on tangents.” —astrologer Stefanie Iris Weiss “You’re miles ahead of everyone else, figuring out some kind of cosmic equation, because all Aquarians are geniuses,” says Weiss. “But with a touch of the Pisces energy that struggles with boundaries, you