March 11, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC The work of firefighter is physically demanding. The job requires wearing up to 75 pounds of gear, not including the additional strength needed to carry ladders, fire hoses, and people out of burning buildings. Obviously you have to be in great shape to become a firefighter, which is why the Fire Department of New York employs the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CDAT) to determine whether someone is up to the task. If you pass, you get to move onto the next stages—and let’s just say that’s easier said than done. According to the FDNY’s prep guide, there are eight tasks involved in the firefighter fitness test: a 75-pound weighted stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry using a 10-pound sledgehammer, a search portion that involves crawling at least 70 feet, a rescue portion that involves dragging a 165-pound mannequin, and the ceiling breach and pull. All of these must be successfully completed in 10 minutes, 20 seconds, or less. In order to help candidates pass these events, the FDNY has a training program that focus on improving body strength and endurance. The exercises involved can be done with or without weights and work pretty much every muscle group in your body, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, triceps, back, biceps, pectorals, shoulders, forearms, abdominal muscles, and more. That means plenty of squats, abdominal curls, chin-ups, bench presses, and other exercises. Only one question remains: Knowing what you know
Month: March 2020
Beyond Meat’s new breakfast sausage is here to take on pork
March 11, 2020 at 05:15PM by CWC It’s been a great year for anyone who’s looking to cut back on consumption animal products. We’ve got “bleeding” plant-based burgers, creamy dairy-free cheeses, and every type of alt-milk imaginable. And now there’s a new Beyond pork breakfast sausage to make your morning bagel set-up more delicious than ever before. Beyond Meat just announced the launch of its latest product, Beyond Breakfast Sausage ($4.99 for six patties), which arrives in the frozen section of select retailers ate the end of March or early April. If you’ve tried the popular breakfast sandwiches available at both Dunkin’ and Hardee’s, it’s pretty much the same thing. And let me tell you… after enjoying both on multiple different occasions, I can say with confidence that you won’t be disappointed with the weirdly-realistic vegan sausage good enough to fool even the biggest meat-lovers in terms of both taste and texture. Photo: Beyond Meat “It’s seen early success at some of the most popular and iconic quick service restaurants, and we’re excited to introduce the first extension of the platform in retail,” said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of of Beyond Meat, in a press release. “It’s been a staple in my own household, and I’m glad that families can now enjoy this delicious breakfast option at home while feeling great about nutritional wins.” “It’s been a staple in my own household, and I’m glad that families can now enjoy this delicious breakfast option at home while feeling great
Why do we keep coming back to 100-year old beauty products? Because they work
March 11, 2020 at 05:10PM by CWC Pond’s Cold Cream has been around since 1846, Vaseline just celebrated its 150th birthday, and it’s estimated that 60 Dove Beauty Bars—first invented in 1957—are sold every single second around the world. Despite the fact that new beauty brands are launching every week, beauty enthusiasts continue to sing the praises of tried-and-true products, decades (and centuries!) after they were first introduced. Given that innovation drives the multi-billion dollar beauty business forward, what’s behind the back-to-basics mentality? “The beauty industry is always needing to reinvent itself to sell new products, but just because something is new, doesn’t mean it is better,” says Caren Campbell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Francisco. That point is easy to miss in the age of shelfie. Overflowing cabinets and countertops are leaving many consumers with a try-it-all mentality that ultimately results in confusion about the options at hand. As such, using tested, dermatologist-backed products is a clear-cut way to combat this. “I think that more people are going back to the basics because they feel like they’ve been let down by multi-step routines that cost a lot of money and time,” says Papri Sarkar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Brookline, Massachusetts. “They want something simple that they can do in their sleep…or right before sleep, in this case.” And some dermatologists even point to fewer, simplified steps as being better for skin. Older products tend to be blander, and these products are meant to keep moisture within skin,
I didn’t expect Harvey Weinstein to be convicted—and that’s a problem
March 11, 2020 at 04:25PM by CWC On February 24, a jury in New York convicted producer Harvey Weinstein on two of the five charges for which he faced trial: rape in the third degree and criminal sexual assault in the first degree. As the news broke, my colleague Katie (who asked to use a pseudonym) and I—both victims in our own right—were shocked; we didn’t think Weinstein’s victims would be believed or protected. And that, I think, is a pretty good indication of how far we still have to go in the war against sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination, despite sporadic victories yielded by the #MeToo movement. UPDATE: On March 11, Harvey Weinstein, 67, was sentenced to 23 years in New York State prison after his conviction on felony sex crimes. My #MeToo experience involved the movie business, and it has given me an empathy for the victims that I just didn’t think Weinstein’s jury would be able to muster. Much like his victims, I’d had to walk a tightrope; on one side, my livelihood was threatened and on the other, my sense of safety. In order to report the male executive who was harassing me (I was an assistant), I’d had to strategically circumvent the “old boys club” that ran the studio. I knew that if I told my (male) boss what was happening, he would protect the (male) perpetrator, and that I would be the one to lose my job. I was too scared to approach the
Going keto might come with a side of diarrhea—here’s how to quell those runs
March 11, 2020 at 03:50PM by CWC When your BFF is telling you all about how following the ketogenic diet has completely changed her life, there might be one thing she’s forgetting to mention: how the eating plan sometimes comes with major…just going to say it…pooping problems. Because the diet is so high-fat and low-carb, having trouble in the bathroom in the form of “keto diarrhea” isn’t at all uncommon. “Constipation is often the biggest problem with the keto diet due to the lack of fiber, but in fact, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, as well as a very high fat diet, can also cause diarrhea,” says Ginger Hultin, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Champagne Nutrition. Keto diarrhea is exactly what it sounds like: diarrhea that happens because of the switch to the keto diet. “It could be anything from noticing looser or more frequent bowel movements to full-on diarrhea, which is generally defined as having three or more loose, liquid bowel movements in a day,” Hultin says. But what is it about the keto diet that can cause such a crappy situation, and is there anything that can be done about it? Here’s everything you need to know about keto diarrhea. What causes keto diarrhea? Some people, not all, experience keto diarrhea as an unpleasant side effect when switching to the keto diet. There are a few possible reasons for keto diarrhea, Hultin says: Fat can be hard to digest. In general,
Why slow-twitch exercises are key for muscular endurance
March 11, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC There are two different schools of thought when it comes to working out. One says that you should go fast and get as many reps in as possible (HIIT workouts, for example). The other says that low-and-slow is the name of the game (like Pilates). With fast, explosive movements in HIIT, you activate fast-twitch muscle fibers, but slow-twitch muscle fibers activate when you’re doing a Megaformer workout, distance running, or lifting heavy weights, and these slow-twitch muscle fibers are the ones in charge of your endurance. “Fast-twitch muscles fire quickly, exerting a lot of power, but can also tire very quickly,” says Abbie Rosser, co-owner of Urban Lagree fitness studio. “Slow-twitch muscles take a longer time to burn out, so building on these and making them more efficient will significantly improve endurance.” Keep scrolling to learn why slow-twitch-activating exercises are important to improve your endurance. The connection between slow-twitch muscle fibers and endurance First up, some biology. While fast-twitch muscles work in anaerobic situations (aka you’re holding your breath to get 60-second squat series o-v-e-r), slow-twitch muscles are responsible for oxygen generation within the muscle fibers. “This oxygen is fuel for continuous exercise, so that there’s less lactic acid buildup, meaning that you can go for extended muscle contractions in a longer amount of time,” says Amoila Cesar, a trainer and NBA strength coach. The fibers are actually a deep red in color, which Cesar explains is from oxygenated blood within the muscles
I’m a sexologist, and these are the 4 sex toys I have in *my* nightstand
March 11, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC If you’re reading this now, I assume you’re trying to give The Drawer a makeover. Don’t be coy—you know The Drawer; it’s in your nightstand, and may house a vibrator, some condoms, and stray AA batteries that you hope would work in an emergency. So, if you want to breathe new life into whatever state your pleasure stash is currently in, you may be in the market for some sex-toy recommendations. While pleasure is highly personalized in terms of how a person likes to go about achieving it—whether fast or slow, experimenting with different techniques or not, etc.—it never hurts to call in an expert. For that we have Rebecca Alvarez Story, sexologist and founder of Bloomi (which, manufactures a highly effective arousal oil, BTW). “The same way we proudly leave cosmetic products and perfumes on our bathroom counter, we should feel good about leaving our favorite sex products on our nightstand,” says Story. “Here are the ones I love to display and have handy.” 4 sex toy recommendations, from a sexologist who uses each 1. The Heart Slim by Chakrubs, $139 Lest we forget, rose quartz is a love crystal, and you can charge yourself with plenty of self-love if you bring this into the bedroom. True to its name, the Heart is meant to clear blockages in your heart chakra, promote comfort and compassion, and, y’know, provide you with a totally unique sensual experience as you supercharge your next orgasm. “I’m a fan of
The #1 place where most bodies are out of alignment, according to a chiropractor
March 11, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC Chiropractors are wizards of the muscular and skeletal systems, spending their days adjusting people’s bodies back into proper alignment. And out of all of the bones that they put back into place, chiropractor Robert Shire, DC, says there’s one area that stands out as the being the most commonly misaligned. And that area is? The lower back. “The quadratus lumborum, or lower back muscles, are frequent contributors to lower back pain,” says Dr. Shire, a chiropractor at True Whole Care in New York City, who stresses that lower back pain is really, really common. Why is this the spot for improper alignment and pain? Sitting, for one. “Sitting for prolonged periods of time can exacerbate the problem,” he says. “For instance, the quadratus lumborum can become tight and spasm when we sit in front of the computer for too long.” When you have weak abdominal muscles, this can also impact your lower back muscles. “A weak core causes the lower back muscles to work overtime,” says Dr. Shire. “Without a break, these muscles build up lactic acid, and that can lead to soreness and cramping.” Remember that your spine is curved, so proper back alignment entails an “S” curve—it shouldn’t be a straight line. Lara Heimann, PT, a yoga instructor and physical therapist, has told Well+Good that the back of your skull, your scapulae (shoulder blades), and your sacrum (the bone in your lower pelvis) should be lined up. This is a good rule
Your go-to self-care activity might actually be fueling your burnout
March 11, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC It’s probably not on-task work and it’s almost certainly distracting behavior, yet nearly all of us are known to check various social media in workplace environments. We justify it every time, thinking that we deserve a small break from the grind, that maybe seeing just how many people viewed that last Instagram Story might give us renewed energy. Well, one takeaway from the most recent Well+Good TALK, which focused on strategies for combatting burnout, made clear that this behavior actually isn’t refueling you at all. In fact, those check-ins may well be making everything worse. Okay, that sounds very dramatic, I’m sure you have a lovely brain. But the fact is that the human brain as a whole has a hard time distinguishing between spreadsheets and scrolling, and that reality might be fueling your burnout. “When it comes to tech, let me just remind you of something: Your brain doesn’t distinguish between you paging through Facebook and working,” says Celeste Headlee, journalist and author of Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving. “That’s all work. Your brain thinks that smartphone is work.” “When it comes to tech, your brain doesn’t distinguish between you paging through Facebook and working. That’s all work. Your brain thinks that smartphone is work. —Celeste Headlee, burnout expert Headlee points out then when you’re stressed, your amygdala takes over and puts you in fight-or-flight mode, letting your instinctual monkey brain control your actions. If you’re being chased by
How to use oracle cards, the simpler-to-read cousin of tarot that helps you tap into your intuition
March 11, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC Even though, you don’t need to spend years studying tarot cards and memorizing all the different card meanings in order to read them, interpreting the messages can be tricky nonetheless. The cards you pull may well leave you with more questions than you had to begin with. If this sentiment resonates with you, you may be interested in learning how to use oracle cards, the simpler-to-read cousin of tarot. The main difference between the two is that a tarot deck is based on a fixed system and typically includes a set of 78 cards, each with its traditional meaning. Oracle decks, which are also used as an intuitive divination tool, don’t necessarily follow a set structure. The creator and artist of each oracle deck selects all the details, including the theme, imagery, number of cards, and the meanings of each of the cards. There are decks featuring archetypes, spirit animals, angels, and affirmations, such as Gabrielle Bernstein’s The Universe Has Your Back deck. While the artwork and meaning options are essentially endless, the best part is that these meanings are usually written out for you right there are on the card, which makes extracting wisdom so much simpler. “Oracle decks support emotional and spiritual health by attuning the user to their intuition and a deeper inner knowing.” —Aarona Lea Pichinson, founder of The Moon Deck Oracle cards can be just as effective as tarot cards at providing guidance and clarity; easing fear and