April 16, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC Your friends may have opposing views on yoga versus HIIT or beach versus mountains. But everyone agrees that Chipotle is delicious. It’s also a blessedly safe haven for all types of eaters, from Paleo and keto to vegan and vegetarian. Even nutritionists and dietitians love Chipotle. But what’s the best Chipotle order when you want to make your meal as healthy as possible? Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives the fast food chain her seal of approval in the latest episode of You Versus Food, while also breaking down what makes a healthy order and what doesn’t. She has a simple formula to keep in mind when crafting your meal. “Your starting point should be either a bowl or salad,” Beckerman says, saying that tortilla chips and taco shells are loaded with sodium and devoid of nutrients. After you figure out your base, choose a protein. Beans and chicken are the best choices, according to the registered dietician, but she recommends halving the portion as to not get too much protein. As for rice? As long as you aren’t keto, go for it. “[Brown rice] has less sodium than white rice,” notes Beckerman. The best Chipotle order, according to a registered dietician. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAZGWNZ5G2A] Last, top off your meal with lots of vegetables to make it both more nutrient dense and filling. Oh, and as for the battle between salsa versus guac? Beckerman says guacamole is a better choice since the healthy fats aid
Category: 2019 Health
OK, TMI: Can you get…stretched out from butt play?
April 16, 2019 at 10:31AM by CWC Anal sex and butt play are like pineapple skin care: If you’re not trying it for yourself, there’s a good chance you’re at least curious about it. And considering butt play can lead to A-plus orgasms no matter your anatomy (shout-out, prostate and A-spot), the interest makes total sense. Butt still (had to), because sex-ed left so many of us confused by every innocuous topic under the sun, whether you’re already an Anal Pro™ or you’re someone who can see yourself testing those back-door waters in the future, you might wonder whether butt play can stretch you out or even cause permanent damage. Good news first: “The short is answer is no. In safe anal play, there should be no long-lasting effects,” says Alicia Sinclair, certified sex educator and CEO of b-Vibe, an anal play product company. But there’s a longer answer, too, and it requires a quick anatomy lesson: The rectum is the last part of your large intestine, which leads to the anus, says Evan Goldstein MD, CEO and founder of Bespoke Surgical, a sexual-wellness company specializing anal-related health. “There are actually three sets of muscles that comprise the anal sphincter, which is the last part of your anus.” Two of these muscles are voluntarily controlled (relaxed and contracted), while the third operates involuntarily. For pleasurable and “successful” anal, all three of these need to be relaxed. How? Foreplay. Just as you can overstretch your hamstring in yoga, you can overstretch
Your uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere isn’t exactly a good thing, according to sleep doctors
April 16, 2019 at 09:56AM by CWC In the world of adulting, having the ability to PTFO whenever, wherever is the ultimate humble brag. (Personally, I’d give a kidney to be able to nap on command.) But the sleep doctors have spoken, and they’ve declared that those with the superhuman ability to fall asleep under any circumstance aren’t necessarily at an advantage. In fact, it might be a sign of sleep deprivation. In a hallmark study debunking 10 of the most commonly held sleep myths, researchers at NYU Langone Health found that people who possess the “ability” to fall asleep anywhere aren’t getting enough of it to begin with, reports CNN. “Falling asleep instantly, anywhere and anytime, is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep and you’re falling into ‘micro sleeps’ or mini-sleep episodes,” says Rebecca Robbins, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone. “It means your body is so exhausted that whenever it has a moment, it’s going to start to repay its sleep debt.” “Falling asleep instantly, anywhere and anytime, is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep.” From the moment you blink open your eyes, your brain begins to produce the sleep chemical adenosine. Spending time in bed diminishes levels of the yawn-inducing chemical. Unless—of course—you skimp on your prescribed amount of sleep. Then, your levels rise and rise until you’ve created a sleep load. The problem is, it’s not always easy to know if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation. Like stress,
These foundations are so nice to skin, you might as well call them skin care
April 16, 2019 at 09:23AM by CWC Foundation used to have a pretty bad rap. Sure, it can conceal blemishes and even your skin tone, but it can also clog your pores, big time. But over the years, formulas have become more skin friendly and arguably less likely to cake up on your face and cause acne. Recently though, brands have taken things one step further with formulas that aren’t just “not bad” for your skin—they’re actually good for it. “Skin-care foundation” products have become increasingly common on beauty shelves, combining the coverage abilities of foundation with the skin-enhancing ones you’d expect from your usual serums and moisturizers. They’re packed with antioxidants (like vitamin C) and hydrating ingredients (like hyaluronic acid) to add a little extra somethin-somethin to your usual routine. “If you can only do one step, it’s better than just putting on foundation,” says Virginia-based dermatologist Lily Talakoub MD, noting that they’re great for people who want to save time in their routine or are looking to get slightly more bang for their buck out of a single product. “These hybrids usually have antioxidants, some of them have vitamin C, some of them have peptides, and a lot of them have sunscreens.” However, it’s worth keeping in mind these products shouldn’t necessarily replace your skin-care regimen (especially SPF!), but rather be put on top of it for a little extra boost. Here, we rounded up some of our favorite skin-care and foundation hybrids, which will make your skin
If your posture’s the pits, you’d better stretch that fascia
April 16, 2019 at 07:50AM by CWC Most of the time, I pretty much ignore my armpits. They only really get a second thought when I need to shave ’em, wash ’em, or apply a few swipes of aluminum-free deodorant. Apparently I’ve been neglecting an important body part for far too long. Just ask physical therapist and yoga teacher Lara Heimann, who tells me that so much of the shoulder tension sparked by desk-slouching can be remedied by elongating the muscles beneath your armpits. Stretching the armpits out on a yoga block targets the fascia, an interwoven system of connective tissues found throughout the body. Heimann says the complex network acts as the body’s no holds barred diary entry. It’s believed to store pent up emotions, memories, and (you guessed it) a whole lot of tension. Sliding onto a block to release the congested energy from that area helps the entire rotator cuff—and thus your entire body—function seamlessly. “When we think about anatomy, we sometimes think very one-dimensionally, as if our body’s like a piece of paper,” says Heimann. In reality the collection of muscles attaching the pectoral rib cage region to the scapula wraps 360 degrees around your bod like an ultra-supportive sports bra. “There’s a set of muscles that travel from one side of the ribs to the other in that pectoral-rib cage region, which is the armpit area,” she says. Rounding the shoulders forward as we stare into our many screens causes the muscles to shorten up
Forever 21 has the best-kept secrets in activewear (and nothing is over $30)
April 16, 2019 at 07:36AM by CWC There are a lot of differences between 21-year-old me and 27-year-old me. For example, one of us spent Saturday nights dancing on tables with her friends from college, while the other spends Saturday night on the couch with takeout and six straight episodes of Friends from College. But one thing we do have in common? We both love to shop for workout clothes at Forever 21. Sure, the store is a utopia for sparkly going out tops and mini-skirts that my high school principal would have been positively horrified by, but it also happens to have some of the best activewear in the game. Not only are the shelves stocked with every iteration of black legging your heart could possibly desire, but they also have all sorts of fun, trendy gear like neon bike shorts, color-blocked windbreakers, and a whole lot of tie-dye. And because this is Forever 21 we’re talking about, you’ll be hard pressed to find a single article of clothing that costs more than $30. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend running a marathon in the merch (you’re probably better off sticking with some sort of performance wear for that, anyway), having spent the better part of the last decade rocking F21 workout-wear to actual workouts, I can confirm that the pieces actually happen to be impressively functional. The leggings hold their shape without stretching out, and the sports bras offer enough support to keep my boobs from bouncing around in even
A pee-tracking app was the golden ticket that convinced me to drink more water
April 16, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the four years I’ve spent writing for Well+Good, it’s that drinking water is mad important—maybe even the most important thing you can do for your health. CBD oil and adaptogens are cool and all, but unlike water, they’re generally not essential to human life. And yet hydration is the one habit that I’ve never managed to master, despite the fact that I really should know better by now. Most days, the majority of my fluid intake comes from coffee. If I drink more than a few sips of water to take my supplements in the morning and at night, I consider it a victory. The thing is, I’m rarely thirsty—I feel deeply seen by the desert-dwelling kangaroo rat, who drinks zero water but eats so many carbs it doesn’t even matter—and as such, I just never think to carry a water bottle around or pour myself a glass while I’m at home. Not drinking water is so engrained in my DNA that no hydration hack has ever managed to break it. So when I got an email about a new, free hydration app called Pee & See, I was intrigued. It records how often you take a leak—which some experts say is the best way to gauge how hydrated you are—and if it’s been three hours or more since your last pee, it reminds you to drink a glass of water. I liked this better than
Your sunglasses are filthy and it’s not helping in the breakout department
April 16, 2019 at 06:45AM by CWC The sun is shining, the warm breeze is blowing through your hair, and the breakouts are coming in hot. What gives? If you can’t seem to figure out the cause of your acne flareups, a summer essential might be responsible for warm-weather breakouts if you don’t know how to clean sunglasses properly. I wear sunglasses almost every day, but I’ve never thought twice about giving them a thorough cleaning. A quick wipe-down on my shirt always seems to suffice. Unfortunately, that bad habit might result in a pimple or two in the area where my sunglasses rest on my face. “Anything dirty that touches your face can trigger a breakout by transferring bacteria,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. “Sunglasses can trigger acne since we tend to wear them in warm, humid weather. The combination of occlusion, sweat, dirt, and friction can clog pores, leading to a breakout.” To make sure protecting your eyes from powerful UV rays doesn’t mess with your complexion, sanitizing your sunglasses is a must—especially during the warmer months. But don’t go grabbing those chemical-filled, store-bought wipes that can irritate your skin even more. The best way to get rid of pimple-causing germs is to grab something you already have on hand at home. “Simple soap and water will do the trick. Or use a gentle, skin-friendly spray like Lumion that can be sprayed on the skin and sunglasses to help keep bacteria at bay,” Dr. Dendy
Why even the most basic, 101-level cooking is really good for your health
April 16, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC At Well+Good, we believe that cooking is an important piece of the wellness puzzle and that everyone can make magic (or at least some avo toast) happen in the kitchen. Sometimes, you just need someone to show you where to start, and maybe a few others cheering you on. It doesn’t need to be complicated, or every day—like most things in the wellness world, a little goes a long way. That’s why we’ve launched Cook With Us, a new program designed to help you feel creative and confident in the kitchen. This week, Cook With Us is kicking off with a week of stories that’ll inspire you to sharpen your knives, plus introduce you to healthy recipes we’re sure will become weekday staples at your house (like this sweet potato gnocchi and these gluten-free chicken fingers). And stay tuned for the launch of our new digital community, a place for you to chat, learn, and share your favorite recipes with other wellness-minded home cooks. Think book club takes the kitchen. Make a promise to start cooking tonight (maybe snag a copy of our cookbook) and meet us in the kitchen. Photo: Clarkson & Potter Even with a gorgeous new cookbook (ahem) prettying up your kitchen, cracking it open and putting it to use can be intimidating. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter if the end result doesn’t look like the picture. You don’t need a pantry full of spices you’ve never heard of and you
There’s a psychological reason celebrity deaths hit us so hard
April 16, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Celebrity deaths happen often, and often unexpectedly, leaving fans who didn’t personally know the deceased in a confused cloud of grief. Because logically, it doesn’t seem to make a whole bunch of sense to feel sad about losing someone you didn’t actually know. Still, on March 4, when I learned that Luke Perry died at the too-young age of 52, a week after he suffered from a massive stroke, there I was, grieving my one-sided relationship with the ’90s heartthrob I knew first and foremost as Beverly Hills, 90210‘s brooding Dylan McKay. Well, it was me and countless other fans around the world, sharing their feelings, and reactions, and general anguish. But pros say this reaction to mourn a celebrity crush makes total sense, especially when the person was someone we admired who served us interactive art that could leave a memory imprint. Like, yep, TV stars we grew up watching (and daydreaming about) and musicians who soundtracked our seminal milestones. Our relationships with celebrities don’t necessarily follow typically understood measures of time and space, making them seem subconsciously immortal to us in a sense. They don’t age with us—they’re bound, time-machine-style, to the fictional characters who they play and whom we’ve became attached to. “They’re never supposed to die, and they’re always 25 in our heads,” says Seattle-based therapist and grief counselor Jill Gross, PsyD. “When they die a little part of us dies, too—our innocence dies with them.” Still, she says,