March 07, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Raise your hand (or, erm, maybe don’t) if you’ve ever gotten a ripe whiff of your armpits in the middle of the day and wondered, “what the hell is going on under there?” Well, it may be that your deodorant has stopped working. Yep. According to dermatologists, it is fully possible for your favorite old-faithful D.O. to betray you. In order to understand why, it’s important to understand why your armpits smell in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually not solely because of your sweat. Instead, it’s because of how your sweat interacts with the bacteria living on the surface of your skin, which can release an odor. Pure deodorants work to mask this odor with fragrance and alcohol, which acidifies the sweat and makes it a less hospitable place for bacteria to live. Antiperspirants—a category that some, but not all, deodorants fall into—use an active ingredient (usually aluminum) to plug up the sweat glands. This stops sweat from making it up to the surface in the first place so that bacteria can’t feed on it. When either type of product is working properly, the result is going to be a reduction in body odor. If that’s stopped happening, though, it may not technically be the deodorant’s fault—it could be due to some underlying cause in your body. “Perceived differences in smell may have to do with how much the person is actually sweating,” says board-certified dermatologist and founder of LM Medical
Month: March 2020
I’m a professional chef, and this anti-inflammatory salad recipe is good enough to eat every day
March 07, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNBjXk0c65I] If you’re feeling fatigued with the standard cold desk lunch, all you need is a handful of hearty veggies to make a nourishing warm salad recipe. In an episode of Well+Good’s video series Cook With Us, Sam Kass—cookbook author and former White House chef to the Obamas—is challenged to create an anti-inflammatory meal that’s vegetarian, uses turmeric, and can be put together in under 30 minutes. The result is an anti-inflammatory warm salad recipe that’s good enough to eat every day. To create this warm salad recipe, Kass roasts broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsley, and shallots. “Roasting is one of the best ways to prepare vegetables. It brings out so much flavor, and it’s super simple. You just throw them on a sheet tray and throw them in the oven,” he says. The vegetables are filled with vitamins and minerals, but this warm salad recipe is anti-inflammatory because of the dressing. In addition to turmeric, the dressing includes a dose of fresh ginger. “Ginger also has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties,” he says. What you’re left with is a quick, flavorful meal that provides all the benefits. And don’t worry—there’s more than enough for leftovers. Anti-inflammatory warm salad recipe Ingredients Salad: broccoli cauliflower Brussels sprouts carrots parsley shallots Dressing: olive oil Dijon mustard lemon juice garlic ginger turmeric 1. Toss the vegetables in your oil of choice, and add salt and pepper to taste. 2. Roast at 350°F for 10 to 20 minutes.
Will shaving really make your hair grow back thicker? Derms weigh in
March 07, 2020 by CWC There are plenty of old wives’ tales in the beauty world: that your skin needs to feel squeaky-clean (not true), your pores can actually shrink (also false), and—one of the biggest—that your hair grows back thicker after shaving. Well, good news: Dermatologists are busting that myth for us, once and for all. “It is definitely not true that after you shave, your hair grows back thicker,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Los Angeles. If this were the case, she jokes that everyone would be shaving their heads so that we could all have thicker hair. (Imagine!) Mona Gohara, MD, a Connecticut-based, board-certified dermatologist, echoes this: “Hair grows as thick as Mother Nature made it! Razors don’t change that.” “Hair grows as thick as Mother Nature made it! Razors don’t change that.” —Mona Gohara, MD If you’re finding it hard to digest the fact that your hair grows in at the same thickness, note that there’s a valid reason why this misconception exists in the first place. “The reason why your hair feels like it’s thicker after you shave is because of the blunt-cut ends of the hair that are growing out,” Dr. Gohara says. “It can feel stubbly and therefore thicker. But it’s not actually thicker or growing back any faster.” But if you give it some time, that won’t actually be the case. “If we let it grow longer again, it would taper just as it normally does,” says Miami-based
Yoga has literally thousands of poses, but a stretching expert says this one unwinds every muscle
March 06, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC No one has an exact count of the number of asanas out there (it could be thousands or millions), but trainer and massage therapist Joe Yoon, author of the newly-released book Better Stretching, says that one pose outperforms the others when it comes to better mobility and flexibility: cat-cow stretch. “When I was a trainer, I thought ‘oh this is just a yoga move for the extension and flexion of the spine,” says Yoon. Once he started studying up on stretching, he learned that the movement works way (and I mean, way) more than just your vertebrae. “When I started to actually look at the movement, I noticed that you’re moving your shoulder blades into protraction and retraction, too,” says Yoon. “So it’s almost like you’re reaching for something and then when you’re dropping your chest down and pulling your shoulders down and back.” And that’s just what cat-cow does for your upper body. Cat-cow asks you to pull your chest forward (cow) then puff up your back (like an angry cat), but this move doesnt’ happen in isolation, it pulls the rest of the kinetic chain—your middle and lower body—along with it. For example, “It’s great for [alleviating] pelvic tilt. So your hips tuck under and then they arch. That’s another thing that people just don’t have awareness of,” says Yoon. But reader, this is just scratching the surface. Below, Yoon and yoga teacher Beth Cooke share the tiny cat-cow tweaks that can
Why do we keep taking nutrition advice from Silicon Valley?
March 06, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Twitter founder Jack Dorsey drinks salt juice every morning and eats just once a day. Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey loads his coffee with butter, engages in 60-hour intermittent fasts, and continuously monitors his blood glucose levels (despite an absence of diabetes). Silicon Valley psychologist Cameron Sepah, PhD, encourages his venture capitalist clients to engage in “dopamine fasts.” Some tech entrepreneurs eschew a full night of shut-eye for 20-minute naps scattered throughout the day. Many adhere to a ketogenic diet, regularly microdose psilocybin (aka ‘shrooms), and/or utilize at least one wearable health-tracking device daily. Ten years ago, most of this might have seemed extreme. And some of it still is today—you would be very, very (very) hard-pressed to find any health expert who would recommend going multiple days without food or sleep. But many of the rest of these once-fringe habits have leaked out from Silicon Valley into the mainstream to, in some cases, be widely adopted with fervor. (Hello, Bulletproof coffee.) It seems not to matter to the general public that few of the above-named people are formally trained in medicine, science, or nutrition—whatever it is they’re doing, we seem to think we should be doing it, too. This health-guru status Silicon Valley folks have acquired in modern times is attributable to many factors, some as old as human nature and others specific to this innovative industry. Keep reading to unpack the reasons you may look to a programmer for diet advice over
Your secret weapon for back strength is a stability ball—here’s exactly how to wield it
March 06, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC A stability ball is typically used for core exercises at the gym or as a supposedly better-for-your-posture chair at the office. And while it really is helpful to define your abdominal muscles, it’s also a secret weapon for strengthening your back. Take that, lat pull-down machine. “Most people only see the ‘six pack’ as their abs, but stability balls can work all sides of the core—and that includes the back,” says Gerren Liles, Equinox master trainer and Hyperwear athlete. “Exercises that challenge your back by incorporating back and glute contractions make the ball a valuable tool in strengthening your posterior chain.” “Most people only see the ‘six pack’ as their abs, but stability balls can work all sides of the core—and that includes the back.” —Gerren Liles, Equinox master trainer Unlike some back-strengthening exercises—especially those done on gym equipment—using a stability ball keeps things easy. There’s no complicated instructions to figure out, and you can build up your muscles right in the comfort of your own home. To try out three of Liles’ favorites, follow the instructions below. The best stability ball back exercises, according to a trainer Reverse extension Lie on your stomach over the ball, placing your stomach and hips at the top of the ball with your hands and feet on the floor. Stabilizing with your hands, contract your lower back and glutes to slowly lift your feet off of the floor, keeping your legs together. No other part of you should move.
This is the red wine of choice for the longest living people in the world
March 06, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC When it comes to wine, there’s still a lot of confusion about whether it’s actually good for you or not. Longevity expert Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones Kitchen, gives at least one red wine his stamp of approval (in moderation of course). Buettner has traveled the world to unlock the secrets of the Blue Zones, areas where people regularly live into the triple digits free of diseases or chronic illnesses. One such locale is Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. “Sardinians are famous for their daily consumption of the robust, regional red wine called cannonau,” says Buettner. If you’re on the hunt for the healthiest red wine, this is it. Cannonau has two to three times the amount of flavonoids (a type of antioxidant) as compared to other red wines. “Small doses of this antioxidant-rich beverage throughout the day could explain fewer heart attacks and lower levels of stress among men in this region of the world,” says Buettner. As with all things enjoyable, moderation is key when it comes to drinking cannonau. While one to two glasses a day is linked to the aforementioned health benefits, drinking in excess has the opposite effect, increasing the risk of diseases and chronic illnesses. The people in Sardinia tend to be in such great health because they enjoy their wine while following an eating plan consistent with the Mediterranean diet. “Another reason Sardinians may experience these
5 reiki principles you can use to create more ease and flow in your life
March 06, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Principles like the 12 laws of the universe, the eight limbs of yoga, and even Marie Kondo’s “does this spark joy?” concept are all examples of fundamental truths that help guide us in our lives. Reiki, the Japanese energy-healing practice, too, offers a set of principles or precepts, as they’re commonly called. In fact, Buddhist monk Mikao Usui, who created the spiritual practice, believed reiki principles are the key to living a happy life and serve as “medicine to the soul,” says Jamie Wozny, a Reiki master at DEN Meditation. The principles themselves are comparable to affirmations or intentions, and they’re very much about being focused on the here and now. “They’re there to encourage us to embody the reiki energy throughout the day, every day,” says Reiki master and certified yoga and meditation teacher Nina Endrst. “They speak to the importance of one day at a time.” “[Reiki principles] are there to encourage us to embody the reiki energy throughout the day, every day. They speak to the importance of one day at a time.” —Reiki master Nina Endrst There’s no right or wrong way to incorporate these precepts into your life. They can be used during meditation, as a morning intention, or whenever you need them. “Just as reiki helps you receive whatever energy you need right now for your highest good, the precepts help bring you back home, back to your spiritual home, back into balance,” Wozny says. Keep reading to learn
10 delicious, vegetarian pasta recipes that are secretly great for gut health
March 06, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC Some nights, nothing beats a big bowl of pasta. There’s a reason why spaghetti, mac-and-cheese, and pasta bakes are all classic comfort foods. And perhaps the best part of pasta: It’s naturally vegetarian, making it easy to adapt classic recipes to a more plant-based lifestyle. (Yes, even Nonna’s meatballs.) Rounded up here are ten completely vegetarian pasta recipes. In all the dishes, plants are a primary ingredient, which ensures that you get a big serving of fiber—the gold standard for gut health— alongside that pasta. And most of the recipes let you use any noodle you like, from whole wheat to red lentil and chickpea—which ups the fiber even more. There are so many pasta-bilities! 10 vegetarian pasta recipes that are full of veggies Photo: Wholesomelicious 1. Vegetable garden pasta The easiest way to add more plants to your pasta dish: mix them right in when you’re prepping. That’s the idea behind this recipe for a baked vegetable garden pasta from Wholesomelicious. Besides the penne, fresh cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and corn are all included. Photo: Cookie + Kate 2. Spinach pasta with roasted broccoli and bell pepper Spinach and broccoli are two veggies that are *full* of fiber, so if you want to make some additions that really bring a lot to the table, so to speak, these are great ones to go for in a vegetarian pasta. Bell peppers have fiber too, along with vitamins A and C, and potassium. [youtube
This is the best type of foundation for every single skin type
March 06, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC The year is 2020, and we’ve reached the golden age of foundation. A product category that once referred only to thick, cakey face makeup now encompasses an entire range of complexion-perfecting products. And with the mass of options, finding the right one to meet your specific needs is easier than ever. “A foundation is a product that you apply to your entire face as a way to even skin tone and provide a clean, consistent canvas for your other products—like blush, bronzer, and highlighter,” says Leilah Mundt, founder and CEO of Crème Collective. “This can take the shape of a thin, light formula that will allow some natural skin to show to a more ‘full coverage’ product that creates an opaque finish.” But the expansiveness of the offerings on the market has created a problem: There are so many different options—Sephora currently has 260 foundations on their website and Target’s got 293—that sussing out what to use for your particular skin concerns can feel like a daunting task. To help you select the right one, we broke down the benefits of every type of foundation there is, and which you should be adding to your collection to celebrate the golden age of even-complected glory. Best for combination skin: water-based liquid Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation, $64 Water-based foundations are like the little black dress of the beauty world: they’re great for everyone. Formulas have hydrating ingredients that make dry skin happy, and the