February 18, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC There’s this place in LA where you can literally drink the extract of a mountain ant, which has adaptogenic properties and can give you an energy boost. I know this, because I did a shot of mountain ant in the name of wellness. (And so I could post about it on Instagram. I am a monster. Let’s move on.) It didn’t actually taste bad, there was just kind of an ick factor. It made me feel a little tingly, like I’d just taken a scoop of pre-workout. TBH, I wasn’t really expecting it to do much. That’s one of the weird things about medicinal herbs and mushrooms (and, well, ant extracts): Because they’re not prescribed by a traditional doctor, it can feel like they’re safe and totally fine to take however we want. We treat them as a way to cure or help with ailments, but aren’t concerned about the side effects because they are “natural.” It’s a strange dichotomy. The natural wellness market has boomed in the last 20 years. My local coffee shop has even started selling medicinal mushroom elixirs. But before you go playing doctor and dabbling with these natural herbs and potions, there are a few things you should know. I enlisted the help of Elizabeth Trattner, A.P., L.Ac., Dipl. Ac., NCCAOM, a doctor of Chinese and integrative medicine. Consider this your primer on what to know before adding medicinal herbs and mushrooms into your wellness routine. “Natural” is still
Category: 2019 Health
ASMR helps me sleep like a baby, and I don’t care if you think that’s weird
February 18, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC When I learned that the National Sleep Foundation credited ASMR videos as an effective method for dozing off, I felt annoyed. Why? Because it’s such an obvious truth that I could have detailed for the folks over there ages ago. I’ve used ASMR for sleep, and it works. Flawlessly even. But when it comes to my sleep hack go-tos (namely the 4-7-8 technique and lavender lotion), ASMR is the trickiest to talk about. It’s really hard to keep a captive audience after the utterance of “brain orgasm.” But, here goes nothing: ASMR stands for “autonomous meridian sensory response,” which is fancy speak for “a phenomenon that produces tingles.” Said tingles are a static-y sensation that sort of moves from the scalp to the neck and spine. ASMR videos involve individuals trying to, at least in part, trigger these tingles with a series of sounds and soothing visual stimuli. This could include anything from hair-brushing and tapping on a microphone to scratching a voodoo doll (yep). Suffice it to say that even though ASMR’s gone mainstream—even Cardi B does it, kids!—many people instantly assume it’s a sexual thing when I talk about it (maybe I should stop saying “brain orgasm?”). Alas, it couldn’t be further; the story of how I started using ASMR for sleep is simply personal and pure. My meet-cute story with ASMR for sleep Years ago, I stumbled upon YouTuber AlbinWonderland, a sugar-floss-haired delight who makes me feel like I’m in episode of Sailor Moon.
Doubt may well be a relationship downer—but it doesn’t have to be a ruiner
February 18, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC We’ve all been there at one point or another—totally happy with a significant other when even just the hint of uncertainty clouds up all the sunniness that previously existed in the relationship. In fact, it’s too often the case that a new relationship is going along bump-free for a few months, or even longer, only to be disrupted by doubt. Sometimes it’s overwhelming doubt. And an unanswered text or a seemingly harmless comment from your partner can hold the power to send us into an overwhelming spiral of it. If you’ve ever experienced this but emerged from the doubt roller coaster with your relationship in tact, you likely know that for the most part, the whole thing lives in your head: The problem of origin, the doubt itself, the power to overcome it. Still, those spirals can really put a damper on a relationship that’s going well otherwise, which isn’t fun for anyone. Luckily there are ways to identify it and stop it in its tracks. Need to know how to overcome doubt in a relationship? First, look at why it happens in the first place. 1. Fear Ah, fear. Although it can serve us well every once in a while—like by pushing us to reach our healthy fitness goals—for the most part, it simply stops us from living our lives to the fullest. And this is definitely true when it comes to relationships: “There’s so much fear surrounding relationships,” says relationship expert
BRB, I need these chic French sneakers that are made from corn (yes, corn)
February 18, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I used to be aesthetically opposed to sneakers, which is weird because I had absolutely no qualms about wearing sequined Uggs. Thankfully, my tastes have evolved. At this point, it’s incredibly likely that I’m wearing sneakers on any given day. They’re comfortable, functional, and add a certain I’m-super-chill vibe to virtually any outfit. (Spoiler alert: I’m not, but I like to give the appearance that I am.) And while I love a chunky dad sneaker as much as the next person, I’ve been enamored with the sleek lines of French sneaker brand Veja ever since I saw Emma Watson wearing a pair a couple of years ago. (Also, Meghan Markle was seen wearing the brand. Hashtag need.) Now, the sustainable shoe company’s done the seemingly impossible: Made corn—a vegetable most known for getting stuck in your teeth—into a sleek, stylish sneaker. (That A-plus alliteration was deliberate.) So how did corn—again, a generally messy vegetable that our bodies can’t even properly digest—become such a chic shoe? I mean, look at these. Would you ever think corn? No. But corn, as it turns out, is a really durable and sustainable material for manufacturing shoes. “Campo is made from a canvas waxed with 50 percent corn waste from the food industry—the husks that humans do not eat—mixed with polyurethane,” explains Veja’s co-founder Sébastien Kopp, who started the brand with François Morillion. Polyurethane (or PU), in case you were wondering, is a leather alternative. Photo: Veja Together,
Getting your daily dose of collagen is as easy as sipping your H2O
February 18, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Sipping on collagen has long seemed like the easiest ever way to get glowing skin, shiny hair, and a happy gut (I mean, all you really have to do is drink it), and thanks to Vital Proteins latest launch, it’s about to get even easier. The brand, who is known for their celeb-favorite collagen supplement, recently revealed that they would be launching a line of collagen waters this spring. Unlike their powder, which you need to scoop into a drink of your choice, the new drinks come ready-made, so you can throw them in your bag and get your glow on wherever you go. They come in five flavors—Original, Strawberry Lemon, Blueberry Mint, Lemon Ginger, and Blackberry Hibiscus— and include 10g of Collagen, and less than 3g of sugar made from real fruit. There’s no added sugar, artificial flavors, sweeteners, or additives, so you know you’re really getting something good every time you sip. Really, the only difference between the new waters and the powder we all know and love is the convenience factor. “Both products offer the exact same benefits: hair, skin, nail, bone and joint support. Also, gut health!” says Jenn Randazzo, MS, RD, CLT and Senior National Training Manager at Vital Proteins. “While powders can be great options at home or in the office, our line of Collagen Waters offers more of that grab-and-go convenience you can enjoy on the fly.” The waters are meant to be enjoyed by anyone looking to up their
How to let go of resentment, to give you piece of mind without giving them a pass
February 17, 2019 at 09:26AM by CWC You’ve probably heard the adage that holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting other person to die—it’s one of the most meme-able quotes in recent memory and has been attributed to everyone from Buddha and Nelson Mandela to Carrie Fisher. (Thanks, internet.) One thing is clear, though, says New York City-based therapist Jennifer Silvershein: Whoever said it was right. But once you’re in the throes of remembering and rehashing all the sins of the person who done you wrong—and getting re-pissed off about all of it—it’s hard to stop that mental loop. Even if you know it’s poisonous, remembering why you’re so mad feels good because at least it explains the feelings. And you may even get cheered on by others—hey, every hip-hop beef is fueled as much by applause as anger. But, as difficult as it is to let go of resentment, it can be done, Silvershein says. And you’ll be the happier for it, as soon as you pull focus from the object of your ire (who, in many cases, is blithely unaware of the whole thing, anyway). “So often we’re holding onto a negative feeling about someone and they have absolutely no idea. So when we’re spending our time reflecting on whatever bothered us the other person is living their life absolutely unaware,” Silvershein says. So, how do you actually put the poison down, and stop drinking from it? Here are her 3 pieces of advice. Photo: Stocksy/Studio Firma Talk it out—or
Yoga pants made Lululemon founder Chip Wilson a billionaire—why isn’t he more grateful to the women who wear them?
February 17, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC Chip Wilson; Photo: Andrea Mestrovic (Very Polite Agency) Chip Wilson is his own employee of the month. Right there on his website, you can see a portrait of his smiling face, set within a cheap wooden frame and festooned with a gold star bearing the accolade. But in his colorful new memoir, Little Black Stretchy Pants: The Unauthorized Story of Lululemon (LBSP), the controversial Lululemon Athletica founder makes clear that, beyond ostensibly putting himself above his actual employees, he also feels superior to many of the women who wear the brand’s hundred-dollar yoga pants that have made him a multibillionaire. LBSP is dripping with contempt for the “non-athletic, smoking, Diet-Coke drinking woman in a New Jersey shopping mall wearing an unflattering pink velour track suit” who may now reach for a pair of Lulus. As he tells it, the irreverent Wilson is the star of Lululemon’s success story. And by extension, he also sees himself as the victim of what he understands to be the athleisure company’s fall from greatness to mass-market mediocrity since he resigned as chairman in 2013. If newer employees continue to find the culture refreshing, Wilson explains, it’s only because “Lululemon is living on the fumes” of its former glory. In this way, Wilson’s 400-plus-page volume often reads like a screed. It’s worth your time, however, because for all Wilson’s outrage at what the innovative company he created has become (and there’s a lot of outrage), he is still Lululemon’s largest individual shareholder,
Here’s your guide to what promises to be an intense astrological week
February 17, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Astrologer Jennifer Racioppi is here with a cosmic weather report to help you get grounded for a week that may include any or all of the following: righteous anger, “fake news,” and, weirdly, major sexual potential. Buckle up. Monday, February 18 This epic paradigm shifting day, not your typical Monday, closes a chapter while opening a new door. Chiron, the wounded healer, officially leaves Pisces, entering into Aries—a sign it’ll be in for years to come. Now’s the time own the fact that over the last few years, you’ve reclaimed a baseline connection to your mystical powers, have shed patterns of martyrdom, and are ready to emerge full throttle in your most real sense of self. This epic paradigm shifting day, not your typical Monday, closes a chapter while opening a new door. Meanwhile, Venus, the planet most closely related to your values, conjoins Saturn, the planet of discipline in structure, in tenacious Capricorn, asking you to solidify your commitment to your truth. And finally, the sun exits Aquarius, entering into Pisces too while the moon waxes full. So how do you digest so many powerful shifts? Take it slow. Don’t skip your mindfulness practice. Stay conscious. The tectonic plates of your spiritual development are mid-shift. Remain patient with yourself and others. Take time to stand under the moonlight and acknowledge how you’ve grown and changed. Tuesday, February 19 Yesterday’s stellar potential carries over today as Mercury, the planet that rules communication, conjoins Neptune
What to wear to hot yoga so you don’t overheat (or recreate your slip ‘n’ slide days)
February 17, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I am a generally sweaty person. (BRB gonna go update my Bumble profile with that sexy line.) I don’t know why, exactly, this is. I just know that all it takes is one inchworm and I’m leaving sweaty handprints everywhere. So, naturally, hot yoga is a particularly damp affair (Wet? Moist? There aren’t really any non-gross synonyms for sweaty.) Even if you’re not prone to sweat theatrics like I am, being confined in a heated room and doing chaturangas is bound to make you perspire. A lot. If you’re not wearing the right attire, there are two general outcomes. One, you feel like you’re on a slip ‘n’ slide of your own sweat, which is a terrible but accurate visual. Two, you get so overheated that you feel the urge to, and I’m paraphrasing the poet Nelly here, take off all your clothes because it’s so hot in here. So what is the right attire for hot yoga? Here are the insider recs from instructors with serious sweat cred. Photo: Getty Images/PeopleImages 1. Leggings If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be that you need moisture-wicking clothing for hot yoga. Bonus points if it’s also antimicrobial. “If you’re dripping in sweat, you want your workout clothes to absorb the moisture which will reduce the chance of sweat stains, dry quickly and decrease odor,” Ava Johanna, an international yoga and meditation instructor and breathwork facilitator, says. She’s a fan
Are you struggling with that whole self-love thing as much as I am? Here’s one way to tell
February 16, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC By design, my Instagram is filled with messages telling me to love myself just as I am. I am trying, I really am. I follow the most inspiring people on Instagram. I am all about Bunny Michael’s conversations with her higher self. And I check out artist Mari Andrews when I want to feel like I’m getting healing oxygen to my heart (her “magical things about New York” series alone does the job). But doesn’t the idea of self-love, self-acceptance, and even self-compassion feel a bit self-indulgent? Don’t get me wrong, when I see someone fiercely owning what they’ve got—including the particular “flaws” that actually make them more compelling, more vulnerable, more attractive, and more interesting—I feel the power and authenticity of that. And none of it seems braggy or selfish. But when it comes to me, though, I can’t shake the feeling that I want wait until I’m a little bit better before I focus on self-compassion. Which is probably why I ended up in C-student territory when I tested my self-compassion using a quiz in The New York Times (adapted from the research of Kristin Neff, PhD). The verdict: “You have a moderate level of self-compassion but could benefit from some self reflection on how to be kind toward yourself. Try a writing exercise in which you write about a time when you struggled or failed and how you felt about yourself. Now consider how you would treat a close friend in the same situation.” Of course