February 15, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC Last night, the very first thing my facialist asked me after washing my face was: “Do you eat spicy food?” I’m gonna be real, here—I pretty much make every single thing I eat hot AF. I’m only enjoying my meal if I’m sniffling and sweating through it. And yet, I was absolutely stunned that this was completely evident to my facialist simply by looking at my skin. “How can you tell?” I asked esthetician Dovile Nisonova at Brooklyn’s new Rob Peetoom Salon. “You have broken capillaries around your nose,” she told me, much to my utter dismay. So, uh—is a spicy food habit taking a toll on your healthy complexion? “Although spicy foods are not a trigger for everyone, some people have a sensitivity to this type of food—among others—that cause an increase in inflammatory chemicals in their skin,” explains Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology Group. “This pathway causes the blood vessels in their skin to dilate, makes their skin flush and turn red, and can cause broken capillaries with repeated exposure.” She notes that it essentially falls under a category of sensitive skin that’s diagnosed as rosacea. If you think about it, spicy food generates heat (obviously)—so it kinda makes sense that it can lead to redness or inflammation via dilated blood vessels. So what can you do? “I recommend avoidance of triggers, so unfortunately those spicy foods should be saved for special occasions,” says Dr. Nazarian, who
Category: 2019 Health
Culture favors the bold—how can you find success as a shy person?
February 15, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Girl bosses. Boss ladies. Boss bitches. There are all kinds of terms for women who get. it. done. in the modern workplace, but there also seems to be a certain widely held caricature of who this ambitious lady really is. I mean, honestly: What image comes to mind when you think about those aforementioned “boss” terms? Probably not a quiet, mousy type who never uses her meek voice to speak up in meetings—even if her ideas are the best in the room. More likely, you conjure a no-nonsense, says-exactly-what’s-on-her-mind Type-A extrovert—right? But skewing shy or introverted doesn’t exempt you from happiness, success, or being a total badass at work. “Being shy isn’t a character flaw that you need to fix to find success,” says life and career coach Susan Jewkes Allen. In fact, tapping into your subtle sensibilities can work to your benefit. For example, says career coach Daisy Swan, introverts tend to process information (and listen) better, think problems through more thoroughly, and state their perspectives more clearly when they do speak up. “Just because you don’t like to speak up doesn’t mean you can’t find your voice.” —career expert Rita Friedman That said, if you, the shy powerhouse you are, find yourself struggling to get to where you want and need to be at work, certain tips and tools can help. “Just because you don’t like to speak up doesn’t mean you can’t find your voice,” says career expert Rita Friedman. So
How to get rid of bad breath with zero chemicals
February 15, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC There is truly nothing on this planet more unappealing than bad breath. Force me to sit through as many earwax pulling and pimple popping videos as there are on the Internet, but please for the love of all things good in this world, do not ever make me sit in a meeting with someone who’s just polished off a tuna fish sandwich and a cup of black coffee. Honestly, I’m gagging just typing that. There are a whole number of reasons why you might have bad breath, and crappy oral hygiene is just the tip of the minty-white iceberg. “Bad breath is generally caused by bacteria over growing in your mouth,” says celebrity dentist Victoria Veytsman, DDS. There are a lot of things that can make this happen, but a few of the biggies she called out include dry mouth, gastrointestinal issues, hormones, and the pH of your mouth. “It’s a whole body thing, not just your mouth,” she says. While we all have some sense of how to get rid of mouth stink (brush, floss, and don’t eat smelly foods), some of the traditional methods have used far more chemicals than I, personally, like to put in my mouth on a regular basis. Sure, you can swish some mouthwash or pop a mint and hope for the best, but if that sounds less-than-appealing, there are plenty of ways to treat bad breath that don’t involve dousing your mouth with something unbeknownst. Allow the
This revitalizing sea salt scalp scrub exfoliates all my bad hair days away
February 14, 2019 at 01:22PM by CWC A week after joining team “no-poo,” I felt liberated and admittedly a little grimy. The shampoo bottle seemed to tease me for my oily scalp every time I hopped in the shower to wash my body, and eventually, I succumbed to intimidation and lathered up. I towel-dried my hair, expecting the sweet, sweet relief of being so fresh, so clean. But after so much time on the dry shampoo train, my hair still felt post-road trip filthy. Then, an angel in the form of of a scalp scrub ended my bout with bad hair days. When I first opened the jar of Christophe Robin’s Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, I remember thinking that it looked like the company had bottled the Dead Sea. It was thick and rough to the touch, and I had no idea that it would become smooth enough to gently massage my scalp. Then, as the label instructed, I placed a small amount in my hand and added water. Before my very eyes the coarse scalp scrub turned into a creamy substance that still felt granular enough to exfoliate. I know! Pure magic. As I ran the product through my hair, I began to imagine love letters I’d write to Christophe Robin. This is gross, I know, but it felt like my scalp was sloughing off layer after layer of dirt and product. I felt squeaky clean. I looked like a new gal once I’d rinsed away the conditioner and dried my hair. It
Sorry celery juice, but tomato juice was here first
February 14, 2019 at 12:59PM by CWC It feels like you can’t throw a stone without running into someone who’s like, really, really into celery juice right now. Which, fine. The savory juice certainly offers lots of benefits, including reduced bloat, extra antioxidants, and potential anti-inflammatory effects. But honestly, there’s one drink that’s been doing this (and more) for years: tomato juice. Yes, tomato juice has largely been relegated to brunch-time Blood Marys or complimentary beverage service at 40,000 feet. But it turns out we shouldn’t be waiting for special occasions to go to town on this stuff, because tomato juice benefits are pretty substantial. Don’t believe me? Here’s what the experts have to say: 1. It’s high in vitamin C Yeah yeah, oranges have tons of the antioxidant vitamin C, but so does tomato juice, says nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, CN, author of Recipes for Your Perfectly Imperfect Life. One cup of tomato juice contains between 67 and 170 milligrams of vitamin C, depending on what type you buy. Given that she says the average adult should consume anywhere between 45 to 90 milligrams per day, you can easily knock down your daily intake in one glass. Vitamin C also helps with iron absorption, says Snyder (helping to prevent anemia), can help your body regenerate the antioxidant vitamin E, is good for your immune system, and has protective properties against health conditions like cataracts and cancer. 2. It helps protect the skin No, drinking tomato juice doesn’t mean you can
Hilary Swank’s workout routine easily defeats dead butt syndrome
February 14, 2019 at 12:34PM by CWC If you have a desk job, you’ll need no convincing that dead butt syndrome is real. You’ve felt that awful tingling sensation for yourself. Sitting all day, every day can lead to gluteal amnesia, where the gluteus medius becomes inflamed and actually stops working. To prevent it, you have to make sure you’re exercising the muscles regularly. Hilary Swank decidedly does not have a desk job, but she seems to be a fan of a workout move that successfully targets your glutes to combat the effects of dead butt syndrome. The actress recently shared a video on Instagram of a recent workout featuring an exercise to make your entire body burn, bum included. Start out sitting on a bench holding a kettlebell. Stand up from a seated position while balancing on one leg. While standing, lift the opposite leg out to the side. Then, sit back down the bench and repeat. The steps are simple, but the move is really hard (even if this million dollar baby makes it look easy). View this post on Instagram #FitnessFriday delayed because of #IAmMother premiere in Sundance last night! But, it’s never too late to get it. #WhatsYourMissionStatement? #MakeAChoice #MakeItHappen . . . Song by the beautiful u2 Mysterious Ways A post shared by Hilary Swank (@hilaryswank) on Jan 26, 2019 at 9:19pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js Adding this kettlebell exercise into your routine will show dead butt syndrome who’s boss, so grab a kettlebell and get out of that chair.
All self-care routines should have the same first step—and a lot of people don’t do it
February 14, 2019 at 12:20PM by CWC If you created an equation for self care based solely on the contents of your Instagram feed, you’d be left with something like bubble bath + face mask + photogenic fiction novel = bliss. What that formula leaves out though is that, for so many of us, the decision to start taking care of ourselves is sparked by feeling unwell in some aspect(s) of our lives. But somewhere along the way for many, amid unicorn-colored bath bombs and fancy AF facials, the original intentions got lost in the self-care shuffle. At Well+Good’s latest TALK in New York City, panelist Elisa Shankle, interior designer and co-founder of HealHaus, asked the audience: What if you audited all your self-care practices to see which ones actually provide the necessary tools to conduct deep-healing work? “I really encourage people to discover what’s good for them. To not necessarily do all of the things they can, but to really listen to themselves,” she said. “When it comes to wellness and self care and all of these things, we need to check in with ourselves.” According to Shankle, sitting down to ask yourself what you need in every moment is the single-most game-changing habit you can add to your life. And doing this—asking yourself what part of you needs nourishing most—should be the first step of your self-care routine. The process itself is far from easy and, sometimes, what you need won’t take the form of traditional self care. “My business partner
These are without question the most comfortable wireless bras, according to real women
February 14, 2019 at 11:52AM by CWC In theory, bras have a very easy job. All they have to do is sort of hoist your girls up without being so uncomfortable that it feels like you’re wearing a medieval torture device. But as many women know, it’s a tall order to ask for a bra that is both supportive and comfortable (though it’s not completely impossible to find one). Things become even more difficult when you’re searching for a bralette, or something that isn’t all underwire and seatbelt material. Today, on Valentine’s Day, in lieu of discussions of love and Cupid, Well+Good editors spent a good part of the morning thinking about bras that are comfortable above all else. Well+Good staffers name the most comfortable wireless bras. True Body Life Scoop Neck Bra by True & Co. “My pick is from to True & Co., a brand that makes the seamless, wireless True Body Life Scoop Neck Bra, which firmly embraces the wearer with unconditional love. It feels like butter on your skin. Let me be clear, if I were to go into hibernation for the season, this would be my only requirement in terms of clothing.” —Tamim Alnuweiri, staff writer Modern Cotton Bralette by Calvin Klein “I honestly can’t think of a more iconic bra than this Calvin Klein Cotton Bralette and every time I slip into it, I remember why. It’s like a Lovesac for my ladies and it gently swaddles them while still providing some support. I’ll never not own one. And
Inhale this essential oil combo for a more focused yoga practice
February 14, 2019 at 11:17AM by CWC Whether it’s putting on a cute new pair of leggings or blasting my favorite new Backstreet Boys song (don’t @ me—that new album is amazing), I’m all about finding ways to make a workout more enjoyable. And during a recent yoga class, I discovered that the key to going harder-better-faster-stronger might actually be through scent. Before I slipped into my first sun salutation yesterday morning at an event for P.E. Nation’s new collaboration with O&M, Urban Zen yoga instructor Menna Olvera Feder asked the group to inhale the scent from a small cotton pad dipped in essential oils that had been placed on our mats before the start of class. It was a combination of peppermint and frankincense, and the scent was intoxicating. When I entered the room, I had been feeling tired and just kind of meh (it was first thing in the morning, the weather was gross—you know what I mean), but one quick inhale of the unassuming square of cotton had me perked up and ready to focus. And, it seems, that was Feder’s plan all along. “Both the oils have benefits for the brain because they contain sesquiterpenes which stimulate the mind,” she says. “I was looking to energize you for the morning, so I used peppermint and to create a mindful state of being, which is why I selected frankincense.” Both oils tout a ton of feel-good properties on their own, and when they’re combined, they become even stronger. Peppermint, she
19 ethereal photos of the Southern Lights that bring heaven a little closer to Earth
February 14, 2019 at 09:55AM by CWC For any enthusiastic astrotourist, heading north to see the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is priority number one. But the other side of Earth witnesses its own celestial spectacle. You’ll have to venture far below the equator to be awestruck by the Southern Lights, a dazzling light show worthy of pursuit. The aurora australis, a luminous phenomenon caused by disturbances in Earth’s magnetosphere, paints the night skies above Chile, Argentina, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Antartica each year from March through September. At a scientific level, both the northern and southern lights are the result of electrically charged solar particles coming into contact with gases in the atmosphere like oxygen and nitrogen. But to the naked eye the multi-chromatic display is pure magic. If your sense of adventure leads to you visit the southern hemisphere for a glimpse of the event in person, head for Queenstown, New Zealand; Mount Wellington, Tasmania; Victoria, Australia; or Antartica and Southern Georgia Island. Photographs of aurora australis, or the Southern Lights 1/19 Getty Images/Yumi mini Photographs of the Southern Lights (aurora australis) Once you’ve checked these beauties off your bucket list, you can see California’s super bloom or take up temporary residence in one of these treehouses. Continue Reading… Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good Selected by iversue