March 10, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC On the Netflix reality series Love Is Blind, cast members looking for marriage were tasked with finding their soul mate by going on dates where they couldn’t see the other person. Within days, real and committed couples emerged with six ultimately getting engaged, all without having seen each other. The rest of the series follows each of the Love Is Blind couples as they navigate how the introduction of physical factors and real-life issues impacts the health of their relationship. Ultimately, they decide whether or not to get married in the final episode. As a viewer, were you surprised about who clicked, who didn’t, who said “I do,” and who said “I don’t?” Thanks to the analytical powers offered by the Myers-Briggs personality typology, I, for one wasn’t the least bit shocked. Because although the only way to formally validate a person’s true Myers-Briggs type is by taking the official MBTI test, according to my own armchair analysis of the cast members’ types and resulting compatibility with their mate, the results make sense. Check out my MBTI breakdown of each of the Love Is Blind couples below (and watch out for spoilers!). How the 6 Love Is Blind couples stack up, according to their Myers-Briggs compatibility 1. Lauren Speed (ENFP) and Cameron Hamilton (INFJ) Cameron and Lauren are one of the two Love Is Blind couples who got married on the show—and they are indeed well-matched. She’s an outspoken, creative, activism-focused ENFP, and he’s
Month: March 2020
6 delicious, low-carb snacks that are totally plant-based—and dietitian-approved
March 10, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC If you had to name the two biggest food movements of the past year, it’s safe to say that plant-based and low-carb eating come out on top. You wouldn’t be wrong—while the keto diet continues to be a mainstay of the healthy eating community since it exploded into the mainstream in 2018, plant-based eating has never been bigger thanks to renewed concerns about the health of the planet. However, if a person was interested in combining plant-based or vegan and low-carb eating…that’s where things can get tricky. Many plant-based forms of protein, like whole grains and lentils, are naturally higher in carbs—making them seem not quite suitable for stricter forms of low-carb eating. Snacking in particular is challenging, says Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. “While it’s easy to find low-carb, high-protein snacks that include animal protein like cheese, turkey, jerky or whey based bars or chips, it’s tougher to find low-carb, plant-based snacks,” she says. Another tricky thing? “Low-carb eating is not very well defined,” Harris-Pincus says. “Some [people] say less than 100 grams of net carbs per day, some as low as 20 grams.” When you’re determined to eat primarily plant-based, being okay with slightly more carbs than traditional keto comes with the territory. A pretty good goal is to aim for 10 grams of net carbs (that’s total carbohydrates minus fiber) or less for a snack, she says. Don’t feel like reading a million labels to find
Your guide to the healthiest spots in West Hollywood for a rejuvenating weekend
March 10, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4y_PI1Jerg] Los Angeles is rife with options for flexing your wellness muscles and learning more about the art of living a well life: You have the environmental benefit of mood-boosting warmth and sunniness, healthy food locales, and the seemingly endless fitness options to explore. But sometimes, even if you’re interested in learning more about the art of living a well life and doing so joyfully, the sheer abundance of those options can be overwhelming. That’s why in the latest episode of What the Wellness, Well+Good producer Ella Dove breaks down the can’t-miss wellness hot spots in West Hollywood, to give you a cheat sheet of sorts. And if you’re looking for wellness under one roof, she has you covered with a locale on Sunset Boulevard that has everything you could imagine for helping to stabilize your mind and body’s equilibrium: Remedy Place. Remedy Place is a veritable Disneyland of innovative healing treatments. A few sophisticated practices worth trying out? Well, the spot, which bills itself as a social wellness club, offers cryotherapy, a compression lounge for lymphatic drainage, hyperbaric chambers, and more so you can really choose how you want to get your Zen on. Social wellness club Remedy Place offers cryotherapy, a compression lounge for lymphatic drainage, hyperbaric chambers, and more. “Life’s stressful, and we can’t eliminate all the stress on our body, so it’s our job to counteract each stress we put on the body, and to bring your body back to
OK, TMI: Help! I think I desensitized myself by using my vibrator…a lot
March 10, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC There are two kinds of sexual urban legends: the ones that turn out to be delightfully true, like exercise-induced orgasms, and those that are, thankfully, not grounded in reality. (FWIW, you can’t get permanently stretched out from butt play, no matter what your college roommate told you.) So what’s the deal with the notion of masturbating too much—and, specifically, can using a vibrator too much lead vulva-owners to become less sensitive to sexual stimulation from another human? Although it may sound like a myth, I’ve experienced such desensitizing effects after long stretches of quality time with my buzzy bedmate, and according to a very non-scientific poll of my friends, I’m not not the only one. If you’ve experienced the same, though, no need to panic. As it turns out, there’s pretty much no risk of lasting desensitization following an extended session with your vibrator of choice. “Regular use of a vibrator will not impact a person with a vulva’s ability to experience sexual pleasure,” says Myisha Battle, sex and relationship coach and Allbodies partner practitioner. “Even if you use a vibrator every day, multiple times a day, your body will return to baseline a few minutes after each session or orgasm.” “Even if you use a vibrator every day, multiple times a day, your body will return to baseline a few minutes after each session or orgasm.” —Myisha Battle, sex and relationship coach However, a small percentage of people may experience a longer-lasting
The best energy-boosting self-care practice to pick up this year, according to your zodiac sign
March 10, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC Sometimes, to-do lists grow so long, it’s tough to focus on the items that are actually important. That resulting endless-feeling slog can make completing anything at all feel difficult and draining rather than empowering. Furthermore, sometimes what we think will help us actually goes against what will make us feel better. That’s where considering self care for zodiac signs may inspire some helpful, unique-to-your-sign energy-boosting ideas. Below, check out the top tips from astrologers Kyle Thomas and Lisa Stardust to help you get the energy you need to crush your goals for the rest of the year. The best self care for zodiac signs, so each star sign can stay energized all year. Aries: work out These fiery rams are all about racing toward their goals at breakneck speed, which can also lead them to burn out faster than anyone else. Thomas suggests these cardinal signs channel their aggression in another way: at the gym. “For Aries, scheduling time for lifting or cardio will help them feel strong in their bodies and allow them to get out of their heads,” he says. Taurus: prioritize quality sleep Taureans are very reliable, stable earth signs, but they also tire quickly. “Taureans need sleep more than any of the other zodiac signs in order to keep their strength and stamina up,” says Thomas. “Shutting off their phones so that they don’t stay up in bed all night will help .” Gemini: read for pleasure These chatty
Dyson’s new straightener cuts breakage and damage in half
March 10, 2020 at 01:30PM by CWC When Dyson launches a new styling product, your hair’s health is the reason why. The brand’s Supersonic Blow Dryer ($399) became an instant hit, thanks to the fact that it can dry hair with less heat (and in less time) than its competitors, and the Air Wrap ($550) revolutionized the way we thought about hot tools thanks to its ability to curl hair without an actual iron. Now, after seven years and $32 million in research and development, the brand has done it again with the launch of the Dyson Coralle ($499), a straightening iron that smooths hair with half of the damage of a regular straightener. The iron, which launches today, uses first-of-its kind flexing plate technology that keeps strands safe. In order to properly straighten hair, you need heat to do a couple of things: break hydrogen bonds, create tension and compression to reshape hair, and control how heat hits the strands. Traditional straighteners can only apply this heat and tension to the thickest part of your hair because of flat, stiff plates. That’s why you normally need to go over each section with multiple passes in order to get it successfully straightened. With the Coralle’s flexing plate technology, the plates move with your hair (instead of laying flat) to evenly distribute heat and tension with each pass. This means that it can get the job done with less heat than your usual iron, and the result—according to years worth of
10 healthy foods that can mess with your digestion, according to a top dietitian
March 10, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25mzNCe1H5k] Ever wondered WTF the acronym “FODMAP” means? Get the DL in this video. It’s pretty common knowledge that certain fiber-rich foods can occasionally cause bloating and gas, even though they’re healthy (*cough* cruciferous veggies *cough*). But for people with IBS or sensitive stomachs, there’s actually a whole category of foods, called FODMAPS, that can regularly wreak havoc on the digestion. But what are FODMAPS foods? On the latest episode of Well+Good’s series You Versus Food, Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives us the deets on these bloat-inducing, gas-causing, poop-interfering items. First off, the acronym FODMAPS stands for: fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. “To translate, it’s a general term used to describe a group of carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that can trigger digestive issues like gas, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and stomach pain,” says Beckerman. Foods considered high-FODMAP are rich in one or a few of these types of carbohydrates. Here’s the tricky part: There are lots of healthy foods that are technically high-FODMAP foods. A few examples, per Beckerman, include garlic, blackberries, and yes, even avocados. (The betrayal!) To be clear, not everyone’s stomach will be upset by FODMAP foods. But Beckerman says that people with IBS or sensitive stomachs might have issues digesting these types of carbohydrates…leading to the above-mentioned fun symptoms. Which is why you shouldn’t just nix these healthy foods from your diet if you’re not having issues. (Why give up avocado toast if you don’t have to?) However,
How to open your root chakra, according to reiki masters
March 10, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC If you know anything about chakras, you probably know that they can get blocked. To address your blockages, Jissel Ravelo, a reiki master and founder of Vibra Wellness, says you have to start at the root chakra. To open your root chakra is to lay the foundation of your energy system. “Even if like another chakra is imbalanced you gotta get to that root chakra first, and then you can build upon it,” she says. “It’s like setting up the framework for your home. Without the framework, you can’t put up walls, you can’t have the roof.” Your root chakra is one of seven chakras, or energy centers, explains Ravelo. These energy centers are apart of our full energy anatomy. First is your aura, which is the field around the body. Next are the chakras, which are the energy centers that run from the bottom of the spine, all the way up to the top of the head. The third part are your would be the meridians, which are pathways that received information from the chakra centers and distribute energy throughout the body. The root chakra is located at the perineum, and extends through your legs and feet. Ravelo explains that your root chakra is the first chakra you develop. “That foundational energy is what enables us to feel secure and grounded into our birthing experience what it means to be a human being,” she says.”Right at that moment, it’s important to have that
I’ve tried hundreds of hyaluronic acid serums, and this drugstore pick is the best
March 10, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC Hyaluronic acid is the ultimate people pleaser of the beauty world: It’s recommended by every single dermatologist for keeping moisture within your skin, it works on all skin types, and it plays well with the rest of your routine. Because of its hydrating powers—and because I’m a beauty editor—you can bet that I’ve tried practically every one out there. My favorite? It’s a drugstore find: La Roche-Posay hyaluronic acid serum ($30). When we talk about ghosts of HA past, my complexion has absorbed a very wide range, from over $300 options to those that cost less than $10 (and hundreds in between). This one won me over because it is incredibly effective in moisturizing my skin and you don’t really have to shell out a lot of money to reap its benefits. Photo: La Roche-Posay Shop now: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum, $30 The most important thing an effective hyaluronic acid serum needs is different molecular weights so that it can hydrate both the top and innermost layers of your skin. This one has that, plus added benefits of B5, which is a water-soluble vitamin that delivers moisture and helps to plump and protect your skin barrier. Studies have also shown that the vitamin helps to reduce redness and hyperpigmentation, which explains why my skin looks so radiant and even when using the serum. Dermatologists are fans of the drugstore serum, too. “It satisfies all the criteria: it’s hypoallergenic and great for
This 64-year-old is the oldest woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean—it took her 84 days
March 10, 2020 at 12:30AM by CWC Just in time for International Woman’s Day, 64-year-old British rower Sara Brewer stepped onto dry land for the first time in 84 days. She, along with her rowing partner Ann Prestige, 35, completed a trans-Atlantic trip in a 30-foot row boat on Saturday. Brewer is now the oldest woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean. And according to the Guardian, she just picked up rowing just six years ago. “I would like to say that I finally decided to row the Atlantic Ocean after carefully considering at least some of the facts, including some of the obvious dangers and difficulties associated with such an endeavor, but that would not be strictly true,” Brewer writes on her team’s website. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Talisker (@talisker) on Mar 9, 2020 at 9:59am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Brewer and Prestige completed the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000-mile journey from the Canary Islands to Antigua, on March 7, 2020. The team of two was one of 35 teams (ranging between one and five rowers) to compete this year. The challenge requires each teammate to row for two hours, then sleep for two hours non-stop for 24 hours. Brewer and Prestige met in 2013, one year after Prestige began rowing, at the Poplar, Blackwall and District Rowing Club in London. Their team name, Row Off The Wall, was inspired by the rowing club. Prior to this race, the duo rowed a marathon,