http://twitter.com/iversue/status/1045177566527705088 To read more, click above t.co (twitter) link September 26, 2018 at 08:05PM
Author: CityWomen
*This* is how a wellness pro nails the healthy jet-set life
September 26, 2018 at 06:30PM Traveling often for work (or just for fun if you’re living your best life) is a great way to check off your tourist bucket list—but it can also throw a major wrench into your wellness routines. Well+Good video producer Ella Dove (more commonly referred to as the office jet-setter) is constantly traveling around the country for video shoots, which has given her plenty of opportunity to master living out of a suitcase—while still keeping her wellness on point. We picked her brain for her top travel tips (and they’re seriously genius)—from how to be the fastest person through the airport security line to her go-to travel uniform, which is actually calculated more strategically than thinking “what will be comfiest for a six-hour red-eye?” (though comfort definitely plays a role). “Comfy pants that still look chic are essential,” she says (she loves traveling in Athleta Stellar Crop Pants). “My best friend’s mom works for an airline, and its true that the better you’re dressed, the more likely you are to get upgraded, be let into a lounge when you’re delayed, or squeezed onto a flight last minute.” Because upgrades mean more leg room, and more leg room means more space for her favorite airplane stretching routine (yes, really). That’s what we call travel, hacked. Scroll down for more of her wellness-infused travel tips—including what she always packs in her carry-on. What she packs in her carry-on One of Dove’s top pieces of advice is to keep your carry-on
People swear ginger baths can combat cold and flu symptoms—this is what you need to know
September 26, 2018 at 02:58PM When sickness strikes, many holistic wellness devotees recommend sipping some ginger tea or sweating it out in a hot bath. But did you know that combining both—in the form of a ginger bath—is also said to help alleviate aches, digestive discomfort, or cold symptoms? Okay, so there’s no formal evidence proving a ginger bath’s alleged benefits. But there are tons of anecdotal reports online from those who swear the practice is a super effective form of a sweaty detox. Why? “Ginger speeds up circulation, which creates heat, causing a sweat response,” says Jennifer Palmer, a holistic wellness coach with a doctorate in traditional naturopathy and owner of wellness center Nourishing Journey in Columbia, MD. Baths obviously create some heat of their own, so it’s easy to see why some people choose to combine the two—even if it’s not a research-backed wellness hack. Why take a ginger bath? Some people take ginger baths to alleviate cold and flu symptoms, while others use them to detox after a big night out. Still others take them regularly in hopes of purging the everyday chemicals we’re all exposed to in the modern world. Palmer says ginger baths are “a fabulous option for sweating out toxins, but they are good for many other things as well.” According to her, a ginger bath may: Calm digestive discomfort Aid in proper digestion Increase blood circulation Aid in reducing inflammation Help improve metabolism Again, Western medicine might raise an eyebrow at these claims. Yet anyone can get
Constantly fighting over the thermostat? Here’s why some people “run hot” or cold
September 26, 2018 at 01:31PM Recently, I read a Vanity Fair interview with Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain, not Destiny’s Child) in which she said she’d heard that hotel rooms were kept cool to accommodate men, who tend to “run warmer” than do women. Given that I’d just spent a weekend with my entire family under one roof, waging a gendered war over the thermostat setting—the men wanted it at arctic levels while the women were hoping for balmier conditions—I started to wonder about the realities of the sex-based difference in temperature preference. I also wanted to know, more generally, why some people—male or female—”run hot” while others, like me, are perpetually frozen. Amy E. Chadwick, ND, Licensed Naturopathic Doctor at Four Moons Spa in Encinitas, California, tells me a number of things play into our experience of temperature. Below, she shares a wide range of factors, many of which actually are (spoiler alert!) gendered. Keep reading to 8 factors that cause you and your office mates battle over the thermostat. Photo: Stocksy/Amy Covington Thyroid function Your thyroid plays an important role in regulating body temperature. “The body maintains a relatively steady core temperature by adjusting blood flow and heat generation within the cells,” Dr. Chadwick explains. And it’s your thyroid’s job to increase metabolic rate (how much energy your body is using) in the cells in order to create more body heat. So, she tells me that if you find yourself consistently on one end of the temperature spectrum or the other,
Ancient super-ingredient tahini is now popping up in *all* the foods—but is it healthy?
September 26, 2018 at 11:11AM When the internet deems a certain superfood “cool,” it follows that foodies everywhere will start dreaming up ways to pack the newest darling into meals both sweet and savory. (Case in point: The avocado craze has officially breached even baked goods.) So when I noticed sesame-seed-derived tahini—a tan condiment that’s a mainstay in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine—starting to play the food-course field (sorry, hummus), I found myself experiencing Jonathan Van Ness–levels of curiosity. Why is this seed butter worthy of oatmeals, quinoa bowls, and desserts alike? Its benefits must be pretty great. The first reason is the flavor. The sesame derivative has a robust, slightly bitter taste that’s just as rich as your standard almond or peanut butter. This trait allows the ingredient to stealthily disguise itself in, well, just about anything. And second, tahini is dairy-free, keto-compliant, and packed with nutrients. (More on that below.) Basically, it’s a versatile yet nutritious powerhouse. Check out 3 reasons a tablespoon of tahini can boost vegan mac and cheese and ice cream alike. View this post on Instagram what vegan pasta dreams are made of a sauce I truly will never get sick of: dairy free tahini mac. so simple and goes well with basically any pasta/veggie/protein combo. my go-to meal after a busy day. recipe below! _____________ I made a double batch, but you can cut this in half for 1-2 servings: 1/4 cup tahini 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (hemp or coconut milk for nut
That confrontation you’ve been dreading could actually go smoother if you use this research-backed technique
September 26, 2018 at 11:08AM Having to sit down and confront someone about something uncomfortable can conjure a real sense of dread—whether you need to chat with your roommate about her non-existent dishwashing habits or your BFF about talking behind your back. There is something that might comfort you, though: New research shows those talks usually go way better than you think when you tell the truth. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, researchers conducted three different experiments: one where a group of participants had to be 100 percent honest with everyone around them for three days, another where participants had to be truthful to someone close to them when answering super-personal and difficult questions, and a third where participants had to give honest, negative feedback to someone close to them. If these all sound like worse case scenarios, you’re not alone. “We’re often reluctant to have completely honest conversations with others,” said study author Emma Levine, PhD, in a press release. “We think offering critical feedback or opening up about our secrets will be uncomfortable for both us and the people with whom we’re talking.” “Taken together, these findings suggest that individuals’ avoidance of honesty may be a mistake.” —Emma Levine, PhD But here’s the thing: The study authors found the end result really wasn’t that bad—at all—when lies (even little white ones) were left out of the conversations. In fact, there were a lot of benefits to being honest. Not only did participants find that
Can’t catch enough zzz’s? Magnesium might be the all-natural sleep aid you need in your life
September 26, 2018 at 11:02AM When it comes to sleep, you may feel like you’re doing everything right. You’ve cleaned up your pre-bedtime routine, invested in an organic mattress, sheets, and pillow trifecta, and found the perfect sleep position for you. But if you often find yourself laying in bed awake, staring at the ceiling wondering Whyyy, you might be low on a certain key mineral. “A magnesium deficiency can be a contributor to poor or troubled sleep,” says Courtney Bancroft, a licensed clinical psychologist and insomnia specialist. That’s because, according to medical nutritionist Sarah Brewer, “magnesium is needed for over 300 body enzymes to work properly, including the production of many brain chemicals such as melatonin, which controls the quality of your sleep.” Plus, magnesium has a natural relaxing effect on the body. It binds to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in your brain to aid in calming activity and quieting the nervous system, explains Bancroft. “Magnesium is needed for over 300 body enzymes to work properly.” Along with less than stellar sleep, a magnesium deficiency can also suck the energy out of you (literally) when you’re awake. “Low magnesium intakes are linked with reduced cell energy production and chronic fatigue as well as serotonin levels, which helps maintain a balanced mood,” says Brewer. While you may be able to get ample magnesium from your diet (kale and avocados for the #win), up to 80 percent of people are coming up short, says Frank Lipman, MD, a Well+Good Council member. “Alcohol can deplete magnesium levels because it increases excretion of the mineral via urine, while coffee has a similar effect as it exits the kidneys,” he explains. According to Dr.
The best kept skin-care secret? Washing your face with sparkling water
September 26, 2018 at 10:57AM Put a bubbly anything in front of someone and undoubtedly they’ll be attracted like a moth to a lamp. Whether you’re a kid with actual bubbles or are an adult sipping on that La Croix or champagne, the fizzy action is simply hard to resist. That’s why it’s no surprise that plenty of beauty staples are carbonated…and why some people are even washing their face with—you guessed it—sparkling water. The trend started in Japan and moved to South Korea, and according to Soda Stream, it’s the number one reason people in Japan buy their product (yeah, even in lieu of drinking the stuff). Like the myths of yore about celebrities rinsing off their cleansers with Evian (I’m looking at you, Cameron Diaz), plenty of beauty aficionados swear that cleansing with the bubbles can upgrade your skin-care routine. When you think about it, it’d seem as though the bubbles—besides feeling pretty cool—would help expunge gunk out of your pores. Is that actually true though? “A study of carbonated water immersion of the lower legs of healthy young people showed increased blood flow to the skin,” says Cybele Fishman, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. “This could be considered good, bringing more oxygen and micronutrients to the skin.” “[Carbonated water] can reduce the appearance of scars and can actually help with the health of the skin,” —Dendy Engelman, MD. Dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, agrees, noting that it’s not as gimmicky as it may sound. “It’s a real thing with science
The one butt-sculpting move Blanca Padilla’s trainer says is more effective than squats
September 26, 2018 at 10:42AM Walk into most workout classes and you’ll find yourself doing a lot of squats. Many fitness instructors would say it’s hard to get a perky butt without ’em. Not Stephen Pasterino. The P.volve Fitness founder—and trainer to Victoria’s Secret model Blanca Padilla—says there’s a better, more effective way to tone. “Everyone is squatting really deep and that can destroy your lower back,” he says. “You have pressure coming down onto your lower back, hips, knees, and ankles.” Not exactly great for your joints. Another reason why Pasterino is anti-squats is because he says they overdevelop the quad muscles. “Everyone is squatting really deep and that can destroy your lower back.” So what’s the quick fix? Stop squatting so deep. According to Pasterino, a similar, less exaggerated movement is actually best, a move he calls the “P.sit.”: Slightly bend your knees and drop your butt down one inch—about half as far as you would in a squat. Go lower one more inch, resisting the urge to go deeper, as in a traditional squat. And don’t stick your butt out. Activate the lower abs and glutes at all times, using them to lower and pull yourself back up. Pasterino says this is better, threefold: It protects the joints, tones the butt, and also works the lower abs, which he says are notoriously difficult to flatten. Less pain, more gain? Sounds like a win. Originally published on November 24, 2017; updated September 26, 2018. Other fitness moves you could improve, with some
A whole lot of people are confused about consent—not just old men in the Senate
September 26, 2018 at 10:14AM We are now weeks into a national conversation about consent and healthy sexual boundaries (or the lack thereof). And it’s getting meta. I mean, how else would you describe this situation? A woman brings forth accusations of attempted sexual assault by a Supreme Court nominee, and after asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to have the FBI investigate her claims, she’s met with a bunch of lawmakers saying they’re going to vote the way they want to vote, no matter what she says—exactly like her alleged abuser did whatever he wanted to do, no matter what she said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even breathtakingly said they’re going to “plow right through” Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations and confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh. (Guys, you know that we can hear you, right?) Many advocates for the judge are loudly questioning whether Ford’s story is even a big deal—and bringing back brutal “boys will be boys” arguments in the process. Basically, they’re unburdening themselves of even the pretense of niceties in a push to get what they want: the Kavanaugh confirmation. (There’s that meta thing again.) But the thing is, consent is not a nicety. It is a basic human right. Anything less is literally criminal. Thanks to the sheer number of disingenuous arguments coming out of DC, there is a lot of confusion about consent right now. But new research shows you can’t blame it all on the Beltway. Thanks to the sheer number of disingenuous arguments coming out of