February 10, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC I don’t think it’s any secret that our current food system is, well, broken. It’s not okay—or even logical—that a hamburger costs less than a salad. It’s not okay that 70 percent of the world’s human use of water goes to animal production—not, in fact, humans. And that’s just one of the ways our current food system is negatively affecting the environment and climate. People often tell me that when they think about the long list of problems our current food system—a term used to describe how we eat and where our food comes from—has created, they feel overwhelmed. I get that; it’s complicated. But that’s also not an excuse to do nothing. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, how you eat affects not only your body, but the planet—for better or for worse. That’s why I decided to write Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet—One Bite at a Time to give everyone—eaters, entrepreneurs in the food space, and policymakers—a blueprint to help make tangible steps toward change. Maybe you think my book’s title is overblown. Can changing the way we eat really transform the economy, our communities, and planet? Well, yeah, it can. The truth is, we all have the potential to be changemakers. Why our broken food system is ground zero for so many other problems Let’s start with something that you’ve probably already thought about before: the connection between food and health. I’m not going to
Month: February 2020
There are 12 million Pilates abs workouts on YouTube, but this is the only one you need
February 10, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2m8gcHG3r4] No workout has a better reputation for firing up your core than Pilates. The super-slow, minuscule movements activate your slow-twitch muscle fibers to build strength. While we don’t all have the luxury of having a Reformer in our living room (or a studio filled with them around the corner), we’re happy to report that you can get a similar workout at home with with sliders. It’s so easy in fact that Trainer of the Month Triana Brown, an instructor at SolidCore, put together a follow-along workout only using sliders. In the 10-minute, six move series, you’ll fire up all the muscles in your core (and a good amount in your arms, as well). So let’s get to it. Here are the abs exercises that will get you the same sweat value of a Pilates class from the comfort of your own living room. Try this at-home Pilates abs workout 1. Army crawl: Grab your sliders and put them on the bottom of your feet. Starting in a low plank position with your tailbone tucked under and abs braced, walk your elbows up and down your mat. Keep your hips lifted and stationary. As you go up and down, press into your elbow as you lift the opposite elbow—this gets you feeling the active oblique. Keep your neck neutral and hips lifted away from the mat. To add more, you can add in a plank up-down, walking from your palms back onto
This Valentine’s week, the universe wants you to prioritize a certain type of love
February 09, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Coming off the full snow moon in Leo, which perfected early Sunday morning, this week begins at a high point. The Leo full moon, albeit a bit dramatic, invites you to unleash your prowess for passion. While perhaps not the best for deep and restful sleep (hello, full-moon hangover), Leo, a sign ruled by the sun, asks for a fortuitous commitment to owning your identity and desires. Be sure to take advantage of this provocation early in the week because as we come into the weekend ahead, we prepare for a downshift in energy come with Mercury going retrograde. To support you with this, on Monday, Venus, the planet of love and beauty, now in Aries, meets up with Chiron, the wounded healer. This Venus Chiron conjunction in the cardinal fire sign of Aries further aids any healing needed at the moment. While it could come with a side of feeling like not enough, the invitation remains for you to step away from your ego and tune into the deepest desires of your soul. Remember, meditation helps immensely as it reconnects you to your inner truth, and the ability to see beyond limited thinking. High-impact movement is also adept at this. After all, Venus in Aries commands a fast-paced tempo, and as she conjoins Chiron, you may feel compelled to express yourself physically. If so, lean into that feeling. Dance cardio, running, cycling, or any other modality of movement that catalyzes catharsis in
How to use your yoga practice to boost your stamina while standing still
February 09, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Typically, when people want to build their stamina, they start incorporating high-intensity interval training and gradually decrease their recovery time between sets. But stamina isn’t only built in the weight or cardio room: Yoga can help get the job done, too. As a refresher, “stamina” is your ability to push through a workout without getting tired—in other words, it’s what drives you to reach your maximum effort in the gym for a given length of time—which is fundamental to your overall strength. “Stamina is important for a productive life,”says Zac Armstrong, master instructor at YogaSix. “If you don’t have stamina, how will you accomplish multiple things in a day without getting fatigued?” So, for example, the better your stamina is, the better you’ll be able to catch up with your running puppy… a very important daily life activity, indeed. Unlike HIIT or cardio, which keep you at your max effort for long periods of time, yoga works to boost stamina mainly through its focus on matching your breathing with your movement. “Yoga can improve your stamina and cardiorespiratory fitness because it helps your body better utilize its oxygen intake,” says Armstrong. And learning how to control your breath—and make the most of every inhalation, the way you do in a yoga class—can pay off immensely in endurance-focused activities like running or cycling. “Yoga also opens up your body in general, creating more room for your respiratory system to operate.” Plus, not only can
A top doctor’s ‘daily dozen’ takes all of the stress and confusion out of healthy eating
February 09, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC When a wellness goal of eating healthy reaches a point where it’s totally stressing you out, it’s pretty much counterproductive. (We all know how bad stress is, right?) But it makes sense why so many people get burned out trying to figure out what to eat and live a healthy lifestyle: Comparing different eating plans, carving out time to meal prep, and Googling healthy recipes can all become tedious. Why does eating well feel like so much work? Michael Greger, MD, gets it. He regularly hears from patients how confused they are about what to eat. Dr. Greger is all about eating for optimal health and longevity, but he is against dieting, which is restrictive and only beneficial in the short-term (if at all). He’s so passionate about it that he actually just released a book aptly called, How Not To Diet. Not dieting is cool and all, but there’s still the question of what to eat. Ever the resourceful MD, Dr. Greger has a handy cheat sheet for that, what he calls the Daily Dozen. The Daily Dozen is a checklist of 12 science-backed healthy lifestyle and eating tips tied to longevity. The intention isn’t for it to be another list of rules to adhere to; it’s meant to simplify healthy eating. How to use Dr. Gregor’s Daily Dozen checklist for easier, healthier living Graphic: W+G Creative 1. Eat 3 servings of beans Dr. Greger’s first tip is inspired straight from Blue Zones,
I’m a real estate broker, and these are the top 5 questions first-time home buyers ask me
February 09, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC There’s something about buying your first home makes you feel so empowered yet so small at the same time. It can get complicated fast, making you feel like you’re in over your head. Luckily, you’re not alone if you’re working with someone who has heard all the first-time home buying questions (and knows the answers). Real estate professionals say they get asked the same questions all the time. To get you ahead of the curve, we asked a few realtors to share the basics. The first-time home buying questions real estate agents get asked all the time 1. How much do you charge for your services? “Nothing,” says Samir Rai, a Southern California-based broker. “My fees are paid by the seller or builder.” This is the case for most buyers, as the fee is typically paid by the seller with the proceeds from the sale. 2. What mortgage Lender should I use, and why? A lender is financial institution, or bank, that can assess your creditworthiness and offer you a loan. Alexander Lurie, an agent in San Fransisco explains that things move quickly in busy markets. “It’s normal for homes to be closing in 21 to 25 days,” he says. “For this reason, it’s very important that buyers are working with lenders who can perform on this timeline.” 3. How do I take care of a house? I’ve lived in an apartment for years If a light switch stops working in your apartment,
How to tell longwear makeup products from those that’ll peace out in 2 seconds
February 09, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC Whether you have a long day ahead or your skin is so oily your makeup slides right off, sometimes you need to call in reinforcements in order for your makeup to stay put. Enter, longwear makeup. Though many products promise long-lasting, waterproof or transfer-resistant formulas, picking the right one for you goes beyond buzzwords on a beauty box. “Longwear products are made with different formulas and ingredients to help keep the product on for dramatically longer than a traditional formula,” says makeup artist Mary Irwin. Unless she’s doing an editorial shoot where she’s changing a client’s look multiple times, she wants every look she creates to tap longwear products. “Longwear lipsticks especially can make a huge difference. That can be the difference between wearing a lip for an hour versus eight hours,” she says. “Longwear foundations still need to be touched up, but can look good after 16 hours.” Want to know more? Keep scrolling for how these products get formulated to last. What makes longwear… wear longer? It’s all about the formula, says Camara Aunique, celebrity makeup artist and owner of an eponymous faux mink lash line. “The difference between longwear makeup products and traditional makeup products has to do with the ingredients,” Aunique says. “Mainly, how much oil is in a given product.” She explains that unless otherwise marked, foundations, cream blushes, and mascaras tend to have more oil in them, and oil tends to wear away faster. Longwear products, on
5 moves that prove an exercise ball is the underrated way to stretch your lower back
February 09, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC Exercise balls are primarily used for, well, exercising. You can use them for strengthening your core, improving your stability, and toning your arms. They’re not just great for all things fitness, though—they’re also a super underrated way to stretch your lower back, not to mention help reverse all the damage from sitting at a desk all day. “Over the course of the day, the effects of gravity and poor posture cause compression through the vertebral segments, from neck to sacrum, and the spinal discs. It also places muscles and joints in disadvantageous positions,” says Danielle Weis, DPT, a physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist at Spring Forward Physical Therapy. “Longterm—as little as 3 to 6 months—prolonged posturing and inflexibility causes the muscles around the spine to get tight and the spine itself becomes compressed and stiff between each segment. As we age, compression can worsen and disc health can become compromised, setting us up for future injury.” Taking the time to help out your lower back now is a must—and you can easily do so with your exercise ball. According to Weis, it’s a great way target both joint mobility and muscle flexibility at once. “It also allows for easy modification. You can take a stretch deeper or keep it light, depending on your needs and exercise tolerance,” she says. “An exercise ball, since it’s air-filled, also provides a comfortable surface to stretch on. Aka the opposite of a foam roller.” The best ways
The most common botanical irritants found in skin-care products
February 08, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Botanicals are found in everything from shampoos to serums. And if it comes from plants, that’s good, right? Shirley Chi, MD, a California-based dermatologist says it’s a little more complicated than that. “I get so many patients on a daily basis telling me that they picked certain products because the think it’s safe, it’s plant-based, it’s all botanical,” she says. This is frustrating, she says, because just because a product is made of plants doesn’t mean that it’s safe. “Poison ivy is a plant. You’re not going to put that on your face.” Botanicals are active chemicals that have historically been used as fragrance in skin care. Jeffrey Fromowitz, MD, a Florida-based dermatologist, says fragrance—natural or synthetic—can wreak havoc on your skin. “Fragrances are one of the most common causes of irritant contact dermatitis,” he says. “Many people are sensitive to them in greater proportions than other skin care ingredients.” “As natural ingredients [botanicals] are often well-tolerated, and commonly included in skin care creams,” says Dr. Fromowitz. “[But] natural does not always mean it is safe for all skin types. Everyone’s skin has differing levels of sensitivity and, in particular, reactions to product ingredients.” Essential oils are another form of botanicals, and Dr. Fromowitz says people with sensitive skin should avoid them. As a general rule of thumb, tea tree oil, mint oils, citrus oils, and lavender oil are a no-go if you have sensitive skin. However, he says botanicals like oat extract
Consider this healthy oatmeal bar the recipe for a perfect pre-run breakfast
February 08, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Every runner knows the dilemma of trying to figure out what to eat before a run. Sure, you definitely want something substantial enough to help you power through the miles, and portable so you can eat while you’re lacing up your shoes, but opt for a breakfast or snack that’s too heavy and you set yourself up for potential cramping mid-way. Something that will help nix this problem in the bud: An oatmeal bars recipe that has the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fiber. It’s a solution runner, registered dietitian, and Cook, Eat, Run author Charlie Watson, RD, has come to not only rely on, but love eating. After experimenting in the kitchen with different fillings, she’s perfected an oatmeal bars recipe made with rolled oats, banana, raspberries, blueberries, and a few more key ingredients. “The bars’ staple ingredient is oats, a sometimes underrated superfood for runners,” Watson says. “These complex carbs break down gradually, releasing their energy slowly to help keep your blood glucose levels stable. This is particularly useful for endurance runners, as the carbs will break down to glucose and become available to the body to use throughout your run, rather than all in one burst. They also contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber that enhances the body’s immune system, helps stabilize appetite, and may reduce levels of LDL cholesterol.” The fruit Watson uses is purposeful both in terms of taste and function, too. Bananas are a good source