February 20, 2019 at 08:52AM by CWC Here in the real world, people come with baggage. And in the world of dating and relationships, that baggage can get especially heavy with each subsequent ended union. While you may have your list of non-negotiable traits you seek in a partner (maybe it has to do with religion or thoughts on children or pets or something else entirely), an open mind is also a smart tool to always keep sharpened. Because relationships get complicated and end for a number of reasons, so holding onto a checklist may shield you from meeting your soul mate. That said, there are also a number of complicated caveats to consider: Like, what if you find out that your partner cheated in a past relationship? Can you still trust them? Should you run for the hills? According to one expert who literally wrote the book on cheating, not necessarily. In When You’re the One Who Cheats, sex and relationship therapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, explores adultery from the cheater’s perspective to gain insight about what motivates the behavior and also what to do about it. (“There are no books out there for the cheaters, just the cheated on,” she says, pointing out this is a huge gap in understanding interpersonal relationships holistically.) The biggest misunderstanding about cheaters, she says, is the notion of “once a cheater, always a cheater.” “Although there may be some truth to it for some, there are a few indicators to look out for when someone
Category: 2019 Health
Move over, air purifiers: These IKEA curtains aim to help you breathe easy in your home
February 20, 2019 at 07:55AM by CWC You’ve already filled your apartment with detoxifying indoor plants and high-tech products to make sure you’re breathing the cleanest air possible. But what if the only thing you needed to do was install a new set of curtains? IKEA, king of affordable, modern furniture (hi, iconic Billy bookcase!), plans to offer a low-cost way to clean up your air, too. According to Fast Company, its latest innovation is Gunrid, a set of curtains that doesn’t need filters or electricity to remove indoor pollutants. Instead, the fabric has been treated with a “mineral-based photocatalyst” that can even banish the most well-known carcinogens invading your space. “The way it works is similar to the photosynthesis in nature. When the fabric comes in contact with light, it breaks down common indoor pollutants like odors and formaldehyde,” said Mauricio Affonso, IKEA product developer, in a video about the release. “We wanted to create a simple, convenient, and affordable way to clean air that wouldn’t take up much space in people’s homes.” This is a BFD for your health. Indoor air can often be as polluted as outdoor air, and poor air quality can put you at risk of infection, lung cancer, and lung conditions like asthma, says the American Lung Association. Thus the innovative technology could help you make your home environment a healthier place to live. Also exciting: Since Affonso says this new fabric technology can be applied to any textile, other items in your home—like your couch and bedspread—could one day be cleaning
Feel like you’re drowning in the wake of a painful split? A new breakup concierge wants to throw you a life raft
February 20, 2019 at 07:43AM by CWC Going through a breakup can feel like you’re treading water in the deep end—or, let’s be real, in a riptide. And to add insult to serious emotional injury, ending things with a long-time partner often comes with a heaping side of mundane logistical BS you have to deal with. You might need to pack up drawers you’ve commandeered or find a new apartment entirely. Maybe you need to enlist extra hands to help with your dog now that your two-person team is down to just you. In a magical alternate reality, you’d have some sort of relationship fairy godmother to help you reconstruct your life. Here on this planet, a new service, Onward, aims to help you deal with the more tedious (and TBH awkward) parts of your breakup, allowing you to focus on self-care and healing. (But if you need it, Onward purports to help with those things, too.) The service, which was in beta testing until this week, is currently available in New York City (with plans to expand to Los Angeles, Denver, Washington D.C., and San Francisco within the year, a company rep tells me). And because no two splits are the same, the company offers different membership tiers (starting at $99) and personalized plans to suit your needs, whether than means packing your bags, waiting for the cable guy at your new home, or acting as a matchmaker for you and a shiny new therapist. At first blush, a breakup concierge
Cork insoles made post-workout stiff legs a thing of the past for me
February 20, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC I’ve always been jealous of people who can wear minimalist running sneakers. Not only do they look cool, they can add a myriad of benefits to your workout. And yet, because of the fun combo of high arches and super pronation that I was #blessed with, I’ve always believed that I need something with a lot more support when I head out for a run. Except maybe with the help of cork insoles, I actually don’t. When a pair of Tread and Butter Cork Insoles ($60) came across my desk, I started researching them, and as it happens these insoles are meant to help add stability to otherwise barely-there sneakers. But considering running in pared-down shoes has created calf pain for me in the past, I asked Priya Parthasarathy, DPM of the American Podiatric Medical Association for her opinion about wearing them on a run. “Cork insoles are naturally shock resistant and they provide cushioning while running. Cork is naturally breathable, they contour to your feet, they are lighter, and they absorb moisture,” she says. “As a runner you need increased shock absorption when your feet strike hard surfaces to prevent shin splints.” She also notes that cork can be a good option because they are sturdier than other insert materials, like gel or plastic, and the thickness can lift the heel and take pressure off of the achilles tendon. However, Dr. Parthasarathy explains, there are some cork-related cons worth pointing out. “Cork is thick and takes up a lot of
Ditch the detergent, soap nuts are the reusable answer to cleaner clothes
February 20, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC I’d always thought my mother taught me everything I needed to know about how to keep my living space clean—and so my cleaning supplies have always consisted of your typical surfactants that come in either wipe or spray form. Standard. And then an editor asked me to check in on soap nuts, and my whole grasp of cleaning supplies turned upside down. What the heck are soap nuts, you may be wondering? They’re actually exactly what they sound like they should be: Nuts that also help spiff things up. “Soap nuts are the husk of the fruit from the sapindus mukorossi tree that grows predominately in India,” says Marilee Nelson, co-founder of Branch Basics, a brand that makes non-toxic cleaning products. “They contain natural surfactants called saponins which lift and carry dirt away from surfaces.” AKA: They’re a versatile and natural, chemical-free alternative to your more conventional laundry detergents, household cleaners, and even skin and body-care products. Soap nuts—as seemingly under-the-radar as they are—have actually been used in Ayurvedic medicine for ages. “For centuries, soap nuts have been highly prized for their medicinal properties,” says Nelson. “Ayurvedic medicine takes advantage of their mild antibacterial and antimicrobial function to treat skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, dandruff, and hair loss. They’ve also been used for things like colds, nausea, and headaches, among many other purposes.” “For centuries, soap nuts have been highly prized for their medicinal properties.” —Marilee Nelson Devotees of the magical nuts
Dear derms: Do I need to feel my skin care to know it’s working?
February 20, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC For most of my life, I’ve been under the assumption that the more I can feel a beauty product tingling on my skin, the better it’s working. Chock this up to really believing in context clues, but like assuming that toothpaste will zap a zit or even thinking that I should wash my face in the shower, the idea that a beauty product should tingle or burn to signal that it’s working is a beauty myth that we need to drop—and pronto, according to dermatologists. “When ingredients stimulate the nerves in the skin with burning and tingling, it creates a sensation that the product is doing something and that it’s working,” says Purvisha Patel, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “Just because a product tingles doesn’t mean it’s more effective—nerve sensation is not correlated to skin outcome.” What’s more, Robert Anolik, MD, a New York-based dermatologist, adds that feeling your skin care penetrate is merely a psychological affect. “Often it’s just these sorts of cooling or tingling ingredients giving us that positive psychological feedback while the actual activity is imperceptible by a different ingredient,” he says. “Nerve sensation is not correlated to skin outcome.” —Purvisha Patel, MD When you can feel that burn, it likely has to do with the product’s pH level. “Tingling doesn’t mean the product is working better than a non-tingling product,” explains facialist and Spa Radiance founder Angelina Umansky. “It usually means the pH of the product is lower or
Après, please: 7 spa treatments every ski-lodge snow bunny needs to try
February 20, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Getting out in nature and careening over the powdery winter snow is a pretty great way to release some endorphins, clock in some exercise, and have a great time while doing it. But, let’s be honest: Cocktail hour after a long day on the slopes (or, okay, maybe just a couple runs, especially if you’re just learning) is half the reason to go skiing or snowboarding in the first place. But an even better way to après? Soaking up some muscle-melting R and R in the spa. Read on for some of the must-see and must-ski terrain at some of the top resorts across the country and Canada—plus an incredible spa treatment at each. The 7 best places to hit the slopes—and then enjoy après ski spa treatments—await. Photo: Four Seasons Jackson Hole 1. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Teton Village, Wyoming The mega mountains at this Wyoming must-ski have some great, challenging terrain to take your runs up a notch (only 10 percent of the 133 trails here are for novices). Explore 2,500 acres of terrain, and don’t forget to enjoy a waffle at the famed Corbet’s Cabin, located atop a mountain at an elevation of 10,450 feet. Then, once you’re ready to call it a day, get excited: It’s time to soak up the Après Ski Ritual at the Four Seasons spa ($425 for 100 minutes). You’ll start with a 25-minute high-altitude soak with Himalayan salts—and a glass of champagne, natch—to relax your
Mineral broth is the vegan alternative to bone broth you’ve been waiting for
February 20, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Bone broth is right up there with matcha and oat milk lattes when it comes to healthy, hot winter sips. Heralded as a healing beverage by many, healthy carnivores love bone broth for the magnesium, potassium, calcium, and of course, collagen. Which all sounds really great…except if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. Fortunately for plant eaters, bone broth isn’t the only nutrient-rich drink in town. There’s still a way to reap all the benefits of bone broth while relying solely on the power of veggies. (Minus the collagen, which, alas, is still extremely difficult to get from non-animal sources.) Oh, and major bonus: It’s less time-consuming and messy to make, too. Behold, mineral broth. What’s in it—and how it’s different than regular ‘ol vegetable broth In a nut shell, mineral broth is a combination of vegetables that are boiled for two hours. The water becomes enriched with the minerals from the veggies, leaving behind a nutrient-dense liquid meant for sipping and nourishing the body. (The veggies will be essentially mush at this point, so they are discarded and composted.) According to nutrition expert, professional chef, Healing Kitchens Institute founder, and author Rebecca Katz—whose mineral broth recipe has garnered a lot of attention—there’s two ingredients that really set it apart from other vegetable broths: sweet potato and kombu, a type of edible kelp. “You wouldn’t find them in regular broth, and they are very nutrient dense,” she says. Here’s what else you’ll find in her
I *know* cigarettes are bad for you, so why do I think people who smoke are so damn hot?
February 19, 2019 at 02:18PM by CWC I’ll ignore everything I know about tobacco and health to watch the object of my desire wrap their mouth around a cigarette à la a ’60s-era advertisement (or Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca). I know that cigarettes are behind many of the estimated 480,000 deaths related to tobacco each year in the United States, and yet, I’m into smokers. My attraction is certainly at odds with my identity as a CrossFit athlete and as a health and wellness writer, but again and again, I lust after James Dean types and their ashtray-scented skin. My biggest turn-on though, according to experts, doesn’t paint me as a hypocritical hack. Phew. “Many of the things that that we are aroused by bring up a sense of nostalgia or comfort,” says Liz Powell, PsyD, a sex educator, coach and licensed psychologist. Well, a quick stroll down memory lane reminds me that my first significant other was a smoker. (Check, nostalgia. Check, comfort.) The first time we kissed, we were in her car listening to Bright Eyes (don’t @ me—I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning is a quality album) while she smoked and then put out the flame on the dashboard. A string of smokers followed in her trail of cigarette butts, and they all contributed to cultivating my attraction to people who light up. But most notably and enduringly, there was J, who had been smoking for close to 20 years when we connected. Throughout our year together, her habit (nay, addiction)
If every single thing aggravates your skin, it’s time to try preservative-free powdered skin care
February 19, 2019 at 02:15PM by CWC As someone who could singlehandedly keep the dry shampoo economy afloat, I’m a big believer in powdered personal care products. You can keep your whipped moisturizers and jelly cleaners, thanks—I’d be thrilled to have an entire beauty regimen filled with things that resemble old-school astronaut food. (If only for the fact that they won’t ruin my stuff if they explode in my carry-on luggage.) Over the past few years I’ve come a little closer to realizing my dreams, thanks to products like Botnia’s Kale-Yeah Mask ($32, plus the cost of goat’s milk yogurt to mix it with), Eminence’s Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant exfoliating powder ($48), and The Ordinary’s 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder ($6), a highly stable form of vitamin C that can be mixed into other skin care products. But a new beauty brand, PWDR, just arrived on the scene totally dedicated to snow-textured skin care, with a debut product line that includes the world’s first powdered hyaluronic acid serum. According to founder Carrington Snyder—a cofounder of face-grade body care brand Kayo, whose family has been in the cosmetic chemistry business for decades—going the powder route allowed her to formulate products using water-soluble ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, without the water. (You blend the powders with water yourself, right before applying them.) This allowed her to forego preservatives and other “filler ingredients,” like emulsifiers and stabilizers, to which some people are sensitive. “When you have water in a product, you generally need a preservative to prevent the