March 12, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC Self-care has become a literal commodity in this modern age of wellness, with companies, emerging industries, and consumer products all buying in. And that’s with good reason, given that self-care practices are essential for upholding our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. But even with this widely understood and accepted reality that prioritizing the mind, body, and soul is crucial for living a well life, we get busy. So busy, in fact, that squeezing in that special me-time can sometimes be a challenge. That’s where self-care apps come into play. Self-care apps are designed to make achieving your wellness goals and staying on top of your self-care practices simple. Because when your self-care rituals exist in the palm of your hand, it’s so much easier to reap their benefits while still being convenient and motivating you to stay consistent. Whether you’re looking for workout inspiration, therapy, or sleep-optimizing tips, you’re covered with the eight self-care apps outlined below. All you have to do is download. Ready to step up your self-care game? Here are 8 self-care apps to download, stat. 1. Think Dirty Price: Free If your go-to self-care practices involve pampering with face masks and bubble baths, Think Dirty is an excellent app to have on hand (er, phone). With this self-care app, you can scan an item or search the database of more than 4,000 brands and 1.4 million beauty- and personal-care products to learn how “dirty” a product is based on
Month: March 2020
Flow through this at-home Pilates workout for better hip mobility (and, of course, core strength)
March 12, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=510FdqCvZ-k] Out of all of our body parts, our hips tend to get the brunt of time spent sitting at our desks. This is why hip mobility work is so important—because, ya know, we want to be able to move fluidly and without that annoying tightness. Enter: a Pilates workout for tight hip flexors. In this week’s episode of Good Moves, East River Pilates instructor and physiotherapist Chloe Gregor brings us a 15-minute full-body Pilates workout that gives special TLC to tight hips. It’s something you can flow through literally anywhere, with zero equipment—all you need is a mat (and maybe some cute leggings). Though you’re definitely going to feel the burn in your core (including your obliques), this Pilates sesh will strengthen all of your muscles from head to toe. And, yes, a lot of the exercises are going to strengthen the muscles in your hip area as they boost your mobility. Try this Pilates workout for tight hip flexors Roll down: Start seated with your legs extended in front of you, hip-width distance apart. Flex your feet. If your hamstrings are really tight, you can have a slight bend in the knees. Reach your arms forward in front of you, lengthen your spine, and keep that length as you scoop your tailbone and start to roll your spine back. Work your abdominals as you slowly roll back, chest open, and pause before the bottom. Then, roll yourself back up, sitting tall at the top.
Recovery sneakers have arrived, because we all deserve a foot massage after the gym
March 12, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Sneakers are getting smarter. Last year, Nike designers launched the Zoom Vaporfly Elite to make the sub two hour marathon a reality, and On added a little extra bounce to our steps with their pillowy CloudTec soles. The same technology once earmarked for performance, is now laser-focused on recovery. A crop of companies has started creating the footwear equivalent of foam rollers. Leading the charge is Oofos: a shoe designed to absorb 37 percent more impact than the average sneak. Shock-absorbing footwear, designed to propel you forward with maximum energy return is hardly new: Adidas Boost hit the market in 2013 and Nike React foam cushioning followed suit five years later in 2018. But Oofos president Steve Gallo says that the brand’s signature recovery sole—”Oofoam Technology”—has no desire to emulate those products. In fact, the brand wants to do the exact opposite. “Our foam, which is the entire footbed, is made out of a proprietary mix of different chemicals and foam, and what it does is the exact opposite of what you see with Nike React and Adidas Boost. The idea is, when you step down on it, it actually requires less ankle power when you walk,” says Gallo. In other words, the technology doesn’t just absorb the shock of your foot hitting the ground; it literally makes every step easier. (Oofos’ brand-sponsored University of Virginia lab study found that Oofoam technology reduces ankle exertion by up to 20 percent.) In theory, that means
If your parents hate your partner, does that seal the fate of your relationship? Therapists weigh in
March 12, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC The subject of my family’s The Bachelor group chat during last night’s season finale was not really focused on who Pilot Pete was going to end up with but rather his mom, Barb. Specifically, how much Barb disliked the woman Peter is in a relationship with and how, um, aggressively she made that known. While most of us will probably not experience our partner’s mother digging into us on live television, there are plenty of people who deal with their own versions of Barb. But does that necessarily spell doom for your relationship? I asked three relationship experts to share their tips on what to do if your partner’s parents hate you or your parents hate your partner. “It’s an interesting sign if your significant other’s parents don’t like you,” says relationship therapist Tammy Nelson, PhD. “Do they have a reason? Do you remind them of your partner’s ex? Do they have something against you because you are a POC or are you the same sex as your partner? Is it because of how you met? Were you married and left your spouse to be with your partner?” Figuring out the why can help you move forward with the relationship. “If you’ve tried and it’s really not about you but about a secret or covert prejudice or something they are projecting onto you that’s not even about you, ask yourself if you can live with them not liking you,” says Dr Nelson. Things
This is the most-commented on brows thread on Reddit—here’s how to replicate the look
March 12, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC Your eyebrows are one of the most—if not the most—distinguishing features of your face. Science even says so. This is probably why so many brow-enhancing treatments and products exist, from eyebrow extensions to microblading to lamination, all in the name of bushy, beautiful arches. One of the slightly more simple ways to achieve this look at home? With a really good eyebrow grooming routine. Reddit, which happens to be a treasure trove of beauty tips, has thousands of posts on the subject of full brows. But one of them outranks all, with the most comments (103, to be exact) and more than 3,200 upvotes (when users mark a post as, well, good). The user posted a selfie with the caption, “The day my brows peaked,” and she’s right. Her arches are full, perfectly shaped, and brushed up. Lucky for us, the Reddit user shared her step-by-step eyebrow grooming routine so that we can easily copy it for ourselves. Keep scrolling for her secrets. The ultimate eyebrow grooming routine for full arches, according to a Redditor 1. Prep your hair: “I coat [my brush] with Dipbrow, then pinch the base of the brush hairs and pull out the excess product,” the user writes (she’s referencing the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade, $21). “It acts like a gel and it’ll give me a firm, thin edge.” For this, she uses a really sharp, small brush, like the Anastasia 7B Brush ($18). 2. Apply powder: Grab a translucent powder and dab
The secret to intermittent fasting’s touted benefits may have to do with the sun
March 11, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC Intermittent fasting (IF) is everywhere these days, a staple of Silicon Valley health “pros” and ketogenic diet fans alike. The eating plan, which has people restrict their eating to specific times of day or days of the week, seems to come with lots of benefits. A 2019 meta-review of studies found that following an IF diet appears to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation; help people lose weight; and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But why, exactly, is IF effective? That question has been the subject of debate for years. Some doctors argue that IF is just another form of calorie restriction; by eating for fewer hours during the day, you’re likely eating less overall. Others claim that fasting temporarily triggers a “switch” that supercharges your metabolism. But thanks to new research, experts suggest that IF’s benefits could stem from timing meals to the rise and set of the sun. The concept is part of a larger movement in the health and wellness communities towards “circadian” health, as coined by the Global Wellness Institute. “While intermittent fasting is all the rage, people don’t realize that this is also usually a circadian-based solution,” reads the institute’s 2020 trends report. “It’s natural for diurnal animals such as humans to eat during daylight when we evolved to digest food.” So, should we all start thinking of intermittent fasting as circadian rhythm fasting? Here’s what you should know, straight from two experts who study circadian
3 myths about warming up before your workout it’s time to stop believing
March 11, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Raise your hand if you’ve ever been tempted to skip the warmup in your workout in the name of efficiency. As hard as it can be to carve out the time to fit a sweat sesh into your jam-packed day, shaving off a few minutes to jump right into your workout seems harmless, right? Not exactly. That’s one of many myths about stretching and warming up that simply aren’t true, and we’re here to bust the biggest three. Warming up for any workout is a non-negotiable—that is, if you want to prevent injury and protect your joints. “More often than not, people come from a day of sitting at a desk or a computer all day. Their muscles have been in this shortened position with very little mobility. They then leave the office head to the gym and jump on a machine. Guess what? Those muscles are shortened, over recruited, and without a proper warm up they are asking for injury,” says Brooke Taylor, certified trainer and founder of Taylored Fitness. Before you start stretching it out—or doing any other warmup, for that matter—check out the most common misconceptions Taylor hears about warming up. 1. You don’t need to warm up Repeat after me: Warming up is not optional. If you want to keep working out as you get older, it’s especially important since “the structure of your workout is so important to sustain body longevity,” Taylor says. “I cannot stress enough how
Working from home? Here’s what productivity experts say you should do to stay on task
March 11, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC Spoiler alert: not everybody has the luxury of a home office. Not everybody even has the luxury of a desk. And while working from home certainly has its perks (working with my dog? Yes, please), it can be a challenge without a defined workspace. Temptations like Netflix loom and distracting roommates linger, which can result in productivity and motivational challenges. Not to mention, there’s just a different that comes with working in an office. “When you commute to your office and sit at your desk all day, see people, and then commute home, you feel like you’ve ‘done’ something,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of several time management and productivity books, including Off the Clock and Juliet’s School of Possibilities. “When you work from home, you don’t have that. So you judge the day solely on what you’ve done. If that’s not much, well, that doesn’t feel so good.” The good news is there are plenty of tips to “hack” your way into a productive work from home day. Whether it’s setting a clear schedule or taking a mid-day shower (talk about a WFH perk), these work from home tips from productivity experts that can help maximize your remote work routine. These are the work from home tips that actually make a difference in your productivity 1. Schedule out your day Whether it’s using Google calendar or writing your to-do list down before you get to work, setting a clear schedule for your work
The top 3 buzziest beauty product categories in the Whole Foods skin-care section
March 11, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC You love Whole Foods for its organic fruits and vegetables, hot bar filled with a never-ending supply of work-lunch favorites, and the cool innovations like being able to bottle your own almond milk. But if you’re not hitting up the beauty aisles at Whole Foods for skin-care products, you’re seriously missing out. Whole Foods just released its annual list of beauty trends, and there are some super buzzy product categories every beauty buff should know about. And from March 11 through March 17, all the beauty items are on sale. The grocery store might not be as well-known for its skin-care section as massive retailers like Sephora and Ulta, but it’s one of the most underrated places to find clean beauty items to add to your skin-care routine. The top 3 buzziest beauty categories you can shop at Whole Foods 1. Blue light defense Everyone knows how important it is to protect your skin from harmful UV rays with sunscreen. Now, the focus is on protecting against blue lights, too, through blue light defense products. Whole Foods says there are multiple different types of products that offer protection, from serums to sprays. One product you’ll find on shelves is DERMA E Blue Light Shield Spray ($17), which uses lutein to “shield your skin from free radical damage and blue light aggressors,” reads the website. 2. Bakuchiol If you haven’t heard of bakuchiol yet, you’re about to see it everywhere. The ingredient—which comes from
This competitive boxer’s caffeinated smoothie packs a one-two punch of fiber and protein
March 11, 2020 at 07:30PM by CWC To kickstart your day, you can’t go wrong with the energizing combination of coffee, protein, and fiber. Take it from retired competitive boxer and founder of Juice Press Marcus Antebi. He’s been making his signature coffee smoothie recipe to fuel his workouts for years. While training as a competitive boxer, Antebi changed up his diet to consist primarily of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and salads. It was this lifestyle change that led him the open the very first Juice Press in 2010. “Eliminating processed foods and replacing hem with pure, plant-based options has given me the physical health to succeed as a Muay Thai boxer and yogi,” he says. “Eliminating processed foods and replacing hem with pure, plant-based options has given me the physical health to succeed as a Muay Thai boxer and yogi.” —Marcus Antebi, founder of Juice Press Antebi’s caffeinated plant-powered smoothie, which comes from the Well+Good Cookbook, provides more energy, mental clarity, and all the fire you need to make through the morning. You’ll get a decent amount of protein from the almond butter as well as a serving of fiber from the cauliflower and banana. Cacao nibs and dates add depth and sweetness. And the coffee adds a just the right energizing buzz you need to get your day doing. It’s an excellent pick-me-up before early morning workouts. Call it plant-powered—with a punch. Competitive coffee smoothie Ingredients 3/4 cup brewed coffee, cold 1/4 cup nondairy milk 1/2 frozen banana 1/4