March 30, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Ah, yes. Wormwood. Your go-to supplement. JK. Unless you’re well-versed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, wormwood (also known as qinghao) probably doesn’t have much name recognition. For starters, it’s an herb with a strong bitter flavor. It’s also the main ingredient in vermouth and absinthe, the alcoholic drink responsible for that wild club scene in Girls Trip. The plant been used medicinally for thousands of years, with recorded uses in the Roman Empire as well as during the Han Dynasty in China. Traditional uses include treating malaria, helping grow hair, and even promoting a longer lifespan. Current researchers are exploring its potential efficacy in treating diseases like Crohn’s disease and malaria. And though research is sparse and more clinical human trials are needed, there are some possible wormwood benefits that make it worth having on your herbal radar. 1. It could help stimulate digestion Traditionally, wormwood has been used to help digestion, and a small 2014 study found evidence to support this practice. The control group of 14 participants drank water mixed a sugar placebo, while 12 people drank water mixed with a wormwood extract (another 12 ingested water with gentian, another bitter herb). The study suggests that ingesting wormwood elicits the cephalic phase response, AKA how your body responds to nerve signals telling you it’s time to eat (it’s why you salivate when you see, smell, or taste food). This response also leads to increased stomach enzyme production, which creates better conditions for
Category: 2019 Health
What to know about ultra-marathons and what it takes to finish one
March 30, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Athletic Equation co-founder Alexander Papadopoulos and his wife and two daughters have been organizing ultra marathons—any race longer than 26.2 miles—for over a decade. But, three years ago, Papadopoulos’ daughter Katie, who was seven at the time, caught him off guard with a pointed question: Why aren’t there any women in your races? Papadopoulos wasn’t sure how to respond. He knew most ultra marathoners were men—roughly 70 percent for 50-milers and between 85 and 90 percent for 100-mile races. Papadopoulos points out that men were given a head start; even as recently as the 1970s, women weren’t allowed to run marathons in the Olympics. Swedish competitive ultra-runner Ida Nilsson agrees. “It wasn’t that long ago that you couldn’t run a marathon,” she says. But both are in agreement that they definitely think more women should give it a shot. “It is so amazing to be out there exploring on your feet all these amazing trails all over the world,” says Courtney Dauwalter—who not only runs ultras but, like Nilsson, routinely flat-out wins them. “More and more women are running and also being more competitive, so I think we will see an improvement of the number of women running ultras in the next ten years,” Nilsson says. This month, Katie’s vision came to life through the No Man’s 50K, held in Triangle, Virginia. “It was great. In the morning the trails were muddy and we ended up with blue skies the last couple hours,”
The editor-tested cleansers that don’t dry out your skin
March 30, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC Selecting a cleanser that works with dry skin can feel like a daunting task. Most foam and jelly formulations will leave you dehydrated and flaky, and finding a milk version that offers the right clean-but-not-too-clean feeling is basically impossible. But—good news: There is one product formulation out there that will have all the dry-skinned ladies shouting Goldilocks-style that you’ve finally found something “Just right!” for your particular skin concerns. Cleansing balms, which are made from oil, clean dirt and impurities off of the surface of your skin while moisturizing and protecting its barrier in the process. And instead of stripping the top layer—the way so many harsh products tend to do—it will leave you with a glow so dewy that you’ll be tempted to skip your moisturizer step (but please, don’t do that). “Oil cleansing balms remove oil-based impurities and free radicals that can lead to breakouts and premature aging,” explains Charlotte Cho, founder of K-beauty skin-care line Then I Met You. “Often times we don’t realize how many impurities are on our skin, so cleansing specifically with an oil-cleanser to gently remove makeup, excess sebum, and sunscreen sets the canvas for clean, healthy skin.” She notes that you should only use a dime-sized amount of the stuff because “a little bit goes a long way.” When you slather it on, the balm should seamlessly melt into your skin. Case in point: Drunk Elephant’s new cleansing balm is called a “butter cleanser”—and when
The 8-ingredient “spa smoothie” a celebrity nutritionist swears by
March 30, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC I never crave vegetables on Mondays. On the first day back on the clock after a relaxing weekend, my stomach growls for sweet treats rather than greens. But Jessica Alba‘s holistic nutritionist, Kelly LeVeque, has a solid green smoothie recipe to fuel herself through the week so she can enjoy a chocolatey reward once Friday hits. If you know anything about LeVeque, it’s that she loves her Fab Four Smoothies. While she recommends them to all her clients—Alba, included!—she practices what she preaches. While there are plenty of more decadent smoothie options in her repertoire, she saves them for after she loads up on vitamins and nutrients. “I normally go green on Mondays and work my way into that chocolate peanut butter cup by Friday,” she writes on Instagram. And what better way to increase your veggie intake—and fight off work-week anxiety—than a “spa smoothie”? To kick off her Mondays, LeVeque drinks up a mix that’s loaded with plant-based protein, healthy fats, and energizing citrus. Basically, it’s just the kind of pampering your body needs to make it to Friday. When there’s no time for cucumbers on your eyes, you blend them up for breakfast with this green smoothie recipe. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kelly LeVeque (@bewellbykelly) on Mar 25, 2019 at 6:52am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Kelly LeVeque’s spa smoothie 1 serving vanilla protein powder (20 to 30g) 2 Tbsp chia seeds squeeze of lemon juice handful of
You can become a “shaman” in a 60-minute online workshop—and that’s a scary thing
March 30, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC When I Google “shaman near me” from my office in New York City, I’m answered with a map showing more than five locations in Manhattan alone. It’s clear that a new class of shamans has risen to meet the needs of today’s stressed-out, anxious, suffering population, and you don’t need to trek deep into the jungle to meet with them. But with this proliferation of shamanism, an unknown quantity of people who claim to be shamans and yet have no training to speak of has also grown. As Well+Good’s guest editor Diana Stobo, a retreat leader with decades of experience in the wellness biz, outlines here, trusting your well-being to someone without the proper vetting—especially when powerful herbs and mind-altering medicines are involved—can have serious consequences. On a recent trip to Mexico, my friend participated in a three-day ancestral healing retreat. She, like many people who engage in ancient ceremonies, was looking for enlightenment, for an understanding of life’s greater purpose. It cost her her life. Over the course of the three days, a man calling himself a shaman led my friend and a group of other retreat-goers through a number of ceremonies that used intoxicating substances—ayahuasca, peyote, and kambo, a poisonous secretion from an Amazonian tree frog—to facilitate healing and induce eye- and mind-opening experiences. (There’s no scientific evidence to support their efficacy, but such benefits have long been touted anecdotally.) Before taking the kambo on the retreat’s final day, the shaman instructed
8 queer-positive podcasts that’ll infuse your commute with some inclusivity
March 30, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC As a queer-identifying person, I’ve found that it’s hard to come by news outlets covering LGBTQ+ politics in a nuanced and intersectional way. Heck, pinpointing media that speaks directly to me and my experiences as a queer person can feel near impossible. That’s why, as of late, I’ve been tuning into podcasts to scratch my itch for LGBTQ+-focused content. Some are NSFW and ROFL-worthy funny; others are deeply informative and intentionally political; and others are deeply empathetic and personal. But all have at least one thing in common: They’re totally binge-worthy. Scroll down for 8 queer podcasts worth a listen. 1. Dyking Out Hosted by New York City-based comedians Carolyn Bergier and Sarah York, Dyking Out explores lesbian and queer life, news, and pop culture. During each episode, they invite a gaycon (gay icon, duh) to chat about topics like threesomes, femme invisibility, or dating “straight” girls. Pro tip: Start with the first episode to meet your co-hosts and learn their voices, then feel free to bop around. 2. Food 4 Thot This podcast features four multiracial besties who dish on their salacious hookups and (in)significant others, play games, pass on the gender binary, and chat about books. You’ll laugh, you’ll snap your fingers in agreement, and you’ll probably blush. But whether you’re just now coming out of the closet or have known your identity since you could say the word drag, the queer quartet will force you to ask yourself questions like: What
Move over vitamin C: Juniper is another sickness-busting ingredient you need to know about
March 29, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC It’s a truth universally known (and raved about) that wine can have some pretty impressive health perks. But there’s an ingredient hiding in your grandma’s gin bottle of all places that has some surprising health potential: juniper. “Juniper comes from the berries of the common juniper tree, which is native to North America,” says Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN. (Its scientific name is Juniperus communis and yes, it’s used to make gin.) And juniper is believed to have good-for-you potential beyond making for a great cocktail. “Some people claim juniper can treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, diabetes, arthritis, muscle pain, GI infections and cancer,” Dixon adds. Wow—that’s a lot. But is it true? More research is needed to support health perks, but these are a few potential juniper benefits making it worth having on your radar: 1. It might lower inflammation Essential oils containing juniper might have anti-inflammatory properties, says Dixon. “All of these products are considered safe for topical use by most people, although they shouldn’t be applied to broken skin. And if a person experiences itching, rashes, pain or other skin reactions after applying juniper, they should wash it off and avoid future use,” she says. 2. It’s a powerful antioxidant Much like fresh berries or colorful produce, juniper has antioxidant properties. “It’s rich in antioxidants, which fight off inflammation and may prevent the development of serious diseases,” says Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD. It may also have some antiaging potential—one
If student loans are good debt, can I go shopping instead of paying more money toward them?
March 29, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC When I was but a young, carefree 18-year-old, taking out loans to go to school didn’t seem like that big of a deal. It was something I would deal with later, down the road when I was living lavishly in Los Angeles with copious amounts of disposable income. (Lol.) Fast-forward a few years, and I do live in LA with some disposable income (not a lot—I’m a writer, after all—but still some). So, should I still be devoting the same monthly amount on my student-loan repayment as when I was fresh out of school? After all, I’ve heard student loans referred to as “good debt.” And more than anything else, that term sounds like it’s designed to make me feel better about clicking “buy now” on my Reformation shopping cart instead of funneling more funds toward my student-loan balance. While I’m dubious about this, I’m certainly not dubious enough to not “buy now,” so some clarity on how to most intelligently use my bit of disposable income would be much appreciated. *Crosses fingers experts sanction the practice of retail therapy.* “Good debt is typically longer-term debt that you take on to achieve a life goal, and it usually has a lower interest rate than bad debt,” says Shannon McLay, founder and CEO of finance-coaching service The Financial Gym. “Some people see student loan debt or a mortgage on your home as good debt. Other people may add a car loan as good debt.”
Cathartic screaming in a “vent box” made me laugh with pure joy
March 29, 2019 at 12:13PM by CWC I can’t remember the last time I screamed at the top of my lungs. Oh wait, yes I can: It was this morning, in a Brooklyn backyard, inside a “vent box” specifically designed to capture cathartic wails. Screaming into the void is something I fantasize about daily, and now that I’ve done it, I can say it’s 100 percent worth the hype. As I stand in the backyard of Huich In, a New York City-based hairstylist and inventor of the marvelous shrieking booth, she tells me that the Vent Box is all about “joyful release.” You meet yourself in the box and get real about your deepest fears and feelings. “It’s about honoring our shadows and our emotions. It’s like information, right? It’s bringing our shadows to the light so then we get to the peace, and harmony, and joy,” she tells me. The idea for the box came from a leadership course In took in San Diego. During one exercise, the group of trainees screamed together. It was an “Aha!” moment for the soon-to-be entrepreneur. “It was the first time that I had released myself in that way because I’m into yoga, I’m into meditation,” she explains. “After we did that, I was like, ‘Holy shit! That felt so good.’ I felt so plugged in. It was a different energy.” “It’s about honoring our shadows and our emotions. It’s like information, right? It’s bringing our shadows to the light so then we
3 Ways Your Home Might Be Having A Bigger Impact On Your Gut Health Than You Think
March 29, 2019 at 12:12PM by CWC If binge-watching every horror movie ever created has taught us anything, it’s that most of the time the bad guy is coming from inside the house—and the same could go for your gut-health issues. Okay, before you go all Michael Meyers on your pad, there’s a few things you should know when it comes to keeping your gut out of harm’s way. For a deeper dive into the things creeping around your home (and how to transform it into a digestion-friendly sanctuary), we tapped Anna Shadid, integrative nutrition health coach at Gorgeous Gut. “Since bacteria colonize on all the surfaces we interact with, it is important to cultivate a healthy environment for bacteria to thrive in the home,” Shadid says. Rather than focusing entirely on the foods you consume (even though that is super important), looking at your gut health from a holistic standpoint can churn out positive changes that actually last. Aside from giving your home a mini gut-approved makeover, taking a probiotic supplement could also aid in your quest for a healthy digestive system. With 90 billion live cultures and 10 different probiotic strains, Renew Life Women’s Complete 90 Billion is something you can easily integrate into your everyday life while reaping all the digestion bonuses. Keep scrolling to learn how to help boost your gut health—starting with what’s inside your home. Photo: Getty Images/Cavan Images Opt for nontoxic cleaning products While cleaning your home is just part of, well, being an adult