March 09, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC While the world of healthy eating can be divisive (and confusing!) at times, there are a few universal true-isms that nearly every expert can agree upon. One, that everyone should be eating more fiber. Two, that food should be joyful, not restrictive. And three, the major (and underrated) benefits of super simple foods like yogurt. “Yogurt is the fermented food produced by culturing cream, milk, or both with a characterizing bacterial culture that contains lactic acid-producing bacteria,” says Maya Feller, RD, of Maya Feller Nutrition. For most people, it’s about as cool as going to prom with your cousin. But health experts can’t get enough of it because of the food’s very legit benefits, from its impressive nutritional profile to the fact that it can be used in so many versatile ways. Keep reading to learn about the different types of yogurt, the benefits of eating it, tips on choosing the best one, and creative ideas to incorporate it in your everyday food rotation. First things first: what is the difference between yogurts? The types of yogurts available are about as abundant as boutique fitness classes. There’s whipped, drinkable, and skyr, to name a few, that come in either plain and flavored versions and varying amounts of milk fat. Despite the wide variety, though, yogurts tend to fall into three common categories: regular yogurt, Greek yogurt, and non-dairy yogurt. Here’s how they broadly compare. Regular yogurt: Regular yogurt is usually made with cow’s milk, which
Month: March 2020
You touch your face 23 times an hour—here are 3 ways to curb the habit, according to behavioral psychologist
March 09, 2020 at 01:08PM by CWC I touched my face 12 times before my first morning meeting. Oh wait, that’s a lie—I should say 12 times in the hour between arriving at work and my first meeting of the day. I know health officials are recommending we keep our paws off our faces in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and yet… must… scratch… Learning how to stop touching your face is important in the wake of a viral outbreak, but it’s also a worthwhile practice regardless of the current health climate. Much like how you should be washing your hands to the tune of “Happy Birthday” every day (many times a day), dermatologists recommend keeping your hands off your face to limit the spread of bacteria that can cause acne, irritation, and other skin issues. “One of the worst beauty habits you can have his touching your face during the day,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously told Well+Good. “On a regular basis we are touching everything from door knobs to our cell phones. Dirt, oil, and bacteria build up on our fingertips, which translates to skin problems if you’re touching your face.” However, touching your face is such an unconscious, ingrained habit, it can feel impossible to overcome. One study from 2015 involving 26 medical students observed that they touched their face an average of 23 times per hour. And these were MEDICAL STUDENTS. My fingers literally just grazed my eyebrow after writing
Can aromatherapy improve memory? I sniffed rosemary for 2 weeks to find out
March 09, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC They say that you’re never too old to learn…and, simultaneously, that it’s pretty tough to become fluent in a language if you start learning after the age of 10. Yet here I am at 28, studying French ahead of a Parisian vacation. I say “studying” with reservation, though; my friend’s currently taking Italian classes, and I’ve simply downloaded the Duolingo app so a bear wearing a scarf can teach me how to say, “This is Marc’s daughter.” While I do have a solid grasp on the English language, when it comes to French? Je stink. And so I decided to try odor cueing to help me learn. That term may sound bizarre—always be wary of any use of the word “odor”—but it’s simply the technique of using certain scents as a way of embedding memory. For example, one recent study published in Scientific Reports used odor cues to promote effortless learning in sixth-graders while they slept and studied. Different test groups used a whiff of rose incense while studying and sleeping, and ultimately, more cueing produced stronger results. These finding piqued my curiosity as to whether aromatherapy, could then, help me remember when to use bonjour versus bonsoir and bonne nuit. What I needed to find out first was a signature scent that would encourage my cognitive skills, and quickly I learned that using rosemary for memory recall is totally a thing. “Since aroma and memory are so inextricably linked—they are found in the same
This 15-minute treadmill workout is so much fun, you won’t even realize you’re running hills
March 09, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4vQ_Ad40KU] I’m thinking it’s not a coincidence that there’s only a one-letter difference between the words “hill” and “hell.” Running at an incline is challenging (and, ok, pretty unpleasant), but it’s an important element of any runner’s training because it challenges your body—and engages your muscles—in an entirely different way than your usual flat road runs. Hill workouts work your upper hamstrings and glutes. And also? They can help you get faster without actually having to run any faster.”You can kind of think of hills as speed work in disguise,” says Nike Run Coach Jes Woods. “You don’t have to be running super fast uphill to get the same benefits.” For this week’s Trainer of the Month Club workout, Woods put together a 15-minute treadmill hill workout that will help you reap those benefits for yourself. It will take you through three intervals of “realistic hills,” which means you’ll be running “up and over” the hills. You’ll take a steady pace at increasing inclines for two minutes, followed by one faster-paced minute on flat road, and then you’ll recover. “This is my favorite workout to do on the treadmill, because you’re constantly either changing the incline or the speed, so it eliminates all chances of ever getting bored,” says Woods. Because running uphill has a different impact on your body than running at a flat road does, it’s important to adjust your form accordingly as you increase your incline. Lean into the hill, hinging
I’m a cardiologist, and this is the ideal workout schedule for a healthy heart
March 08, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC Workouts are typically created to target certain muscle groups. There are butt-sculpting workouts, upper body exercises, chest exercises—you get the gist. But a cardiologist has a friendly reminder for us all: The most important muscle in your body isn’t your biceps or your core… it’s your heart. “Without your heart, there’s nothing else,” says Andrew Freeman, MD, cardiologist with Jewish National Health. So just how does a cardiologist recommend working your heart for cardiovascular health? “The best way to work out is at least 30 minutes a day of breathlessness,” he says. (If you have a medical condition, he advises talking to your doctor first to make sure this is safe.) It doesn’t even matter what type of exercise you’re doing, as long as you’re reaching that level. To make sure you’re truly breathless when you’re exercising, Dr. Freeman advises using what he calls a breath test. “If you can sing or have a full-on conversation with the person next to you, you’re not working hard enough to improve your heart health,” he says. Of course, this doesn’t mean that low-level or moderate exercise is bad for you or that it’s useless—but if you’re really looking to boost your cardiovascular health, he recommends 30 minutes a day on average of being out of breath. “If you can have a full-on conversation with the person next to you, you’re not working hard enough to improve your heart health.” —Andrew Freeman, MD When you stop
Mercury is out of retrograde this week, and the universe is finally cutting us an energetic break
March 08, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC This week begins with compelling prospects afoot. The Virgo full moon directly opposes the sun in Pisces on Monday, March 9, at 1:37 p.m., just less than two hours after Mercury, who’s traveled retrograde since February 16, stations direct. Since Mercury rules Virgo, this full moon provides you with a promising opportunity to integrate the truth you’ve discovered over the last few weeks while the planet of communication recalibrated the speed at which it travels around the sun. In addition to Mercury’s new direct station, this full moon has Venus and Uranus in a close conjunction in Taurus while they trine the south node in Capricorn. Simultaneously, the sun in Pisces also conjoins Neptune, Pisces’ ruler, while making a lucky angle to Jupiter, who also trines the moon. The full worm moon features a lot of energy that brings auspicious and potent spiritual potential. To put it another way, the full worm moon features a lot of energy that brings auspicious and potent potential. At its best, spirituality offers us trust that no matter how hard times may feel, ultimately, we are supported. It provides a sense of safety and security that no matter what is happening in the world, we can trust in the inherent goodness of life. And that’s exactly the ethos this full moon offers—that no matter how out of sorts things in the outside world may feel, we each have an incredible wealth of internal stability we can cultivate,
These are the 2 ingredients that nutritionists will never, ever eat
March 08, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Despite conventional “wisdom” in the healthy eating community, processed foods aren’t inherently bad for you. Yes, a consumer has to be wary of excessive amounts of sodium or hidden sugars, but generally, a packaged food here or there is not the end of the world. That said, there are certainly some shady ingredients that pop up in packaged foods. Ever had the experience where you look at a label to see a long list of ingredients, only a fourth of which are even remotely recognizable? Not a great feeling, is it. Again, some ingredients that sound like “chemicals” aren’t necessarily bad. But when asking a few RDs which food ingredients to avoid, there was a common consensus: high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. Why RDs avoid these two common food ingredients High fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners can negatively impact health based on various research, says Kelly Jones, RD, who avoids these two additives and recommends her clients do the same. “I am not a fan of things that contain high fructose corn syrup or that contain artificial sugars and will not buy things that contain them,” agrees Maggie Michalczyk, RD. Unlike some other ingredients that have unfairly gotten a bad rap over the years (cough, soy), high fructose corn syrup—which is a sweetener made from corn—in particular has been proven to be bad for health. “It has been shown to promote insulin resistance, which then reduces the body’s ability to
I can’t stop eating this high-fiber, plant-based Italian meal
March 08, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC When I go to an Italian restaurant, my mind is always on the main course. I mean, it’s nearly impossible not to drool when you’re minutes away from getting a plate of spaghetti or lasagna set in front of you. One thing I often overlook, however, is the appetizers—and nope, not just the breadsticks. I’m talking about Tuscan white bean toast. The super garlicky Tuscan white beans that are served with the bread are almost better than the pasta. The plant-based mix isn’t just healthy, as it contains high amounts of fiber and plant-based protein, but it’s loaded with flavor. Instead of something only to enjoy before your main course, it can easily stand on its own for a healthy meal—just ask Erin Clarke, creator of Well Plated and author of The Well Plated Cookbook, who created a simple recipe that can be put together in record time. “For me, my Tuscan-inspired toasts exemplify what I most adore about Italian cooking: straightforward, uncomplicated, and beautiful ingredients uniting to become greater than their individual parts,” she says. “This recipe is budget-friendly, healthy, and you can have it on the table in about 20 minutes. What more can I ask for in a weeknight dinner?” If you’re ready to ditch the avos for a minute and try topping your toast with beans instead, try Clarke’s tasty recipe below. Tuscan white bean toasts with garlic and tomatoes Ingredients 4 slices of thick, good quality whole wheat
I tried a boob-care routine to show my gals some love
March 08, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC I have breasts that look like Christmas morning, and I intend to keep it that way. I don’t say that exclusively out of vanity, they’re just an objectively good set. Two huge wins for the genetic lottery: A+ (or DD+, whatever). So when I developed a Christmas tree rash (oh, the irony) this winter, I knew that a boob mask wouldn’t just do the trick. A full-scale boob-care routine was necessary to get me back into tit-top shape. Let me just address the two screaming thoughts in your mind before I get into what a boob-care routine entails. Through the magic of targeted Instagram ads, I stumbled upon Anese Calm Your Tits Nourishing Boob Mask ($34) and knew this is what I was missing my entire life. I already knew about the existence of butt masks, but since my décolletage is way more public facing than my rear—like I’m not wearing assless chaps to work, you know?—this seemed actually practical. Then, I got the Christmas tree rash or pityriasis rosea. To quickly paint a grotesque picture, a Christmas tree rash is a random affliction that focuses on the trunk of the body. We’re talking your entire torso, tummy, back, and (sob!) breasts. I spent January in a deep turtleneck-y hell since, per my dermatologist, this dermatitis primarily just fades away with time. Needless to say, my boob-care routine wasn’t created so much to treat the condition as it was to give the girls some
This $6 tool is the only thing you need to clean your AirPods like a pro
March 08, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC Properly cleaning your AirPods is a true struggle. It’s far too easy for dirt, germs, and—let’s be honest—earwax to get caught in all the nooks and crannies. They’re too small to clean with just your finger. Even trying to use Q-tips can make things worse, potentially causing all that grime to get packed in tighter. Luckily, there’s a super affordable tool that’s going to make your life much easier. I didn’t know I needed a cleaning brush for my electronics, but now I don’t want to go another day without it. The OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush ($6) is made to clean hard-to-reach areas with soft silicone bristles and a slim wiper blade that allow you to access even the tightest crevices. With these two tools, nothing—not all the grime in the world—can keep you from jamming out to your favorite Lizzo song at full-volume during your workouts. (Just don’t blast it too loudly, okay?) While many people use the tool to clean the dust, debris, and leftover crumbs from lunch between the keys on a keyboard, reviewers also rave about its ability to clean your AirPods. The tool is gentle enough to get rid of any built-up gunk without damaging the pricey product. It also keeps you from trying to clean the speakers with a toothpick or bobby pin—two things that will undoubtedly ruin your earbuds. To get your AirPods as clean and polished as the day you bought them, Prime