January 30, 2019 at 06:42AM by CWC Photo: America’s Test Kitchen Don’t call it a comeback (because, really, did it ever really go anywhere?), but the Mediterranean diet is trending in a serious way. (Well keto, we had fun, but I’m just looking for something a bit more long-term…) Here’s the thing though: When you look for Mediterranean diet recipes—whether it’s on Google or the cookbook aisle at the bookstore—you’ll see amazing savory ideas, likely starring fish, legumes, nuts, and of course olive oil. But what about Mediterranean diet desserts? Is that even a thing? America’s Test Kitchen executive editor Dan Zuccarello is here to tell you that you can absolutely have dessert while sticking to the Mediterranean diet. (Phew!) You just have to change the way you think about it a little bit. “Dessert is viewed much differently in the Mediterranean than it is here,” says Zuccarello, the creative force behind the newly released The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook. “While we think of dessert as a regular occurrence and the final course to our meals, it is not uncommon for ‘dessert’ in the Mediterranean to simply be a piece of fresh fruit. That’s not to say cakes and cookies are not eaten; rather they are often saved for special family gatherings and celebrations.” Don’t find fruit on its own all that exciting? There are some easy ways to upgrade it. Here, Zuccarello shares three dessert ideas from his new book (which of course also includes loads of breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes,
Category: 2019 Health
Work your entire body with this intense two-minute plank series
January 30, 2019 at 05:58AM by CWC Once you’ve mastered the art of the perfect plank (abs tight, ass down, hands or forearms locked directly underneath your shoulders) there are approximately infinity different variations that amp up the full-body burn. Plank jacks! Hip dips! Knee taps! These are a few of my least favorite—but indisputably effective—versions of the move, all of which I do multiple times a week. This morning though, during a HIIT class at NYC’s Fithouse, trainer Mark Ribeiro put me through the hardest two-minute series of planks I have ever experienced. Seriously: When I looked at the droplets of water on my mat, I wasn’t sure if they were beads of sweat or tears. That’s how hard these planks were. And as much as I hated every single second of it, I’ve gotta admit that they definitely had me feeling the burn in the best possible way. You see, these weren’t like regular planks, they were cool planks weighted planks, which involved holding a dumbbell in one hand and going through various motions while holding yourself up with the other. “Adding a dumbbell to your plank routine creates instability,” explains Ribeiro. “This will force you to engage alternate muscle groups to keep you in a good plank form.” To try it on your own, start with a set of light weights and place one hand flat on the floor slightly inside your shoulder line for stability. Hold the dumbbell in the opposite hand, and while keeping your core tight and hips
Okay, let’s settle this—are GMOs bad for you or not?
January 30, 2019 at 04:38AM by CWC There are few food-related debates more polarizing than the one around genetically modified organisms, or GMOs as they’re more commonly known. (Other than the question about whether people who like black coffee are psychopaths, that is.) On one side of the fence, you’ve got those who claim that genetically modified foods are generally harmless. This cohort includes the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and 90 percent of members of the American Association for Advancement of Science. But then there’s another sizable crew of experts, including prominent doctors (like Mark Hyman, MD, and Frank Lipman, MD), nutritionists (Ashley Koff, RD), and advocacy organizations like the Environmental Working Group, who are a bit more skeptical. Most GMO detractors claim that it’s simply too soon to tell whether there are any long-term health effects connected to this relatively young technology, which has only been around for about 20 years. And many feel there’s evidence that GMOs actually might have a detrimental impact on our health and that of the planet. So who to believe? It’s a tricky question without a clear answer. Further complicating matters: Ordinary consumers don’t fully know how GMOs work. A new peer-reviewed study in the journal of Nature Human Behavior that interviewed 500 Americans about their stance on GMOs found that those who opposed GMOs the most understood the science behind them the least. This years-old debate is about to resurface in the national conversation because the US government has just finalized new rules
Dry skin is no match for these editor-approved moisturizing masks
January 30, 2019 at 04:49AM by CWC At this point, my friends kind of think I’m a freak when it comes to hydration. I can’t help myself, though—it’s the end of January and every time I touch one of my limbs, it feels lizard-like. These are desperate times. That’s why I’m never not around a humidifier, why I bathe myself in as much body oil as I can, and why I reach for all of the moisturizing skin-care essentials. While there are certain powerhouses for hydrating my skin—from hyaluronic acid serums to heavy creams—I’m very partial to the world of moisturizing face masks. Face masks are 20-minute ticket to hydrated, radiant bliss. Unlike acne-fighting clay masks or tingling exfoliating types, face masks in the moisturizing category are pure joy in that they’re solely meant to replenish your parched-ass skin with ingredients like glycerin and honey and squalane. Just recently, two of my fave clean beauty brands, True Botanicals and Tata Harper, launched—specifically—moisturizing masks as if they’ve read my (dry) mind. So, in the spirit of keeping everyone’s faces happy and hydrated, I present to you Well+Good editors’ all-time favorite moisturizing masks. Photo: True Botanicals True Botanicals Moisture Lock Overnight Mask, $60 “Putting this mask on is the ultimate luxury—it smells like what I would imagine the secret garden in a fairytale would smell like. Massaging it into my face is my favorite way to end my evening routine, because every time I use it, I know I’ll wake up with silky skin.
Can knuckle-cracking really make your fingers bigger?
January 30, 2019 at 04:21AM by CWC Maybe you know a knuckle-cracker, or maybe you are a knuckle-cracker. In any case, we’re all familiar with the sound: An intense popping or cracking that’s either strangely satisfying or straight-up excruciating, depending on whom you ask. What knuckle-cracking actually is though, practically speaking, is a nervous habit akin to nail-biting, hair-twirling, or foot-tapping: It’s something many default to when they’re uncomfortable or even mindlessly when they’re just bored. But is it innocuous, health-wise, like those other common rituals? Or might the overextended stretching of your digits be causing you body any damage? Because that popping effect certainly doesn’t sound natural. First things first, here’s what actually happens when you cathartically enmesh your fingers, flip ’em inside out, and stretch: That popping sound? Bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid of the knuckles, which is the stuff that gives your joints their lubrication. And while the notion of knuckle-cracking leading to arthritis has been gratefully rejected by several studies, one sizable aesthetic question mark remains: Can the habit make your knuckles bigger? The risks associated with knuckle-cracking Good news: The whole knuckle-cracking-makes-your-knuckles-bigger myth seems to be just that—a myth. According to plastic surgeon Lara Devgan, MD, current research points to a causal relationship between cracking and enlarged knuckles being unlikely. There are risks to consider, though. A 1990 study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found that that 84 percent of 300 regular knuckle-crackers experienced hand-swelling later in life, yet just 6 percent of non-crackers shared those
Conditioners are getting better and better—here’s which one you should be using
January 30, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Conditioner is the Goldilocks of hair care products. There’s a delicate balance between formulas too light and too heavy, and you need to seek out one that’s jussssst right for you, or you’ll be left with strands that are dry as straw or greasy AF. The good news? Hair-care technology is getting better and better, which means finding a “just right” product is easier than ever. “The ingredients are getting more sophisticated and smart, so we are able to use less or different textures—foam, gel, cream—and still get a fantastic result,” says Herbal Essences celebrity stylist Bridget Brager. “It really comes down to personal preference: how it feels in your hand, how it distributes through your hair, and ultimately, how the formula works to help your end styling result.” Choosing the right conditioner depends not only on your hair type, but also on how much moisture it requires. “For me, the old-school rules have gone right out the window. We’re seeing individuality again, because you can’t just say ‘foam is good for fine hair,’” says Dove celebrity stylist Mark Townsend. “It’s really about what your hair needs.” Thankfully, with all of this new technology, finding a product that fits exactly what your hair needs is easier than ever. Fine Hair Dove Ultracare Conditioner Foam For Fine, Flat Hair Weightless Volume, $5 As anyone with fine hair knows, the biggest concern with conditioner is whether or not it’s going to weigh things down. While it may
I touched my toes for the first time, and it had nothing to do with how flexible I am
January 30, 2019 at 03:38AM by CWC I am 27 years old, and until last week, I had never touched my toes in a forward fold. In my childhood dance and gymnastics class, I could never quite reach those 10 little piggies, and not a whole lot has changed now that I’m an adult who goes to yoga twice a week. Sure, I can contort into dancer’s pose and bird of paradise, but ask me to hinge toward the floor, and we’ve got a problem on our hands. So when Corinne Croce and Dariusz Stankiewicz of Body Evolved Studio—a brand new upscale physical therapy destination opening this week in New York City—told me that they could get me to touch my toes in 2 sessions, I practically laughed in their faces. “I’ve been trying to do this for 2.5 decades—there is no way you can fix it in 2 hours,” I scoffed during my first appointment with Croce. Yet, she swore that my hands would be on the ground in no time. “A person’s ability to reach up and down is much more than just a testament to their flexibility,” Croce explains. “Of course flexibility plays a role in how much movement can be created at each consecutive joint involved, however more often than not, the inability to touch ones toes is caused by a dysfunction with the fundamental pattern of hinging at the hips.” Most of us refer to this as tightness, but it’s actually more complicated than that. “The ‘tone’ and tension being
Race Women: A new project to spotlight a generation of early Black feminists
January 30, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC I’ve thought a lot lately about the stories time takes from us. A year or so ago I was deep into rummaging through Black history at the turn of the 20th century for a research project I was working on. In the process of digging into the strides Black folks had made in the three short decades since slavery ended, I began to encounter—over and over again—women. Black women. So many of us. They cropped up everywhere: in the shadows of famous men and well-documented events; delivering lectures at conferences with W.E.B. Du Bois; sharing stages with Frederick Douglass; leading movements alongside John Brown; running newspapers and writing books that celebrated other Black women from times earlier than theirs. Despite protests from their white sisters, they were there at the first women’s rights conventions. They were there, speaking and protesting at World’s Fairs, including Chicago’s storied Columbian Exposition in 1893—the setting of the Devil in the White City. In those places, they gave speeches of their own about how Black women’s freedoms would not be pushed aside. They coached a young Ida B. Wells on persuasive public speaking, and gathered their community together to help launch her anti-lynching campaign—a revolutionary catalyst that charged an entire generation to stay active in the fight for our lives. They were at Southern train stations and boat ports, helping young Black girls in search of better jobs gain safe passage north, after realizing they were too often
Salad boards are the new bowls—that is, if you like eating off the floor
January 29, 2019 at 01:35PM by CWC I’ve never been a huge salad fan. Yeah, they make me feel super healthy and help me to get enough servings of vegetables, but I’ll always choose something warm and comforting (hello, jackfruit tacos!) over a bunch of cold leaves any day. But even I was intrigued at an emerging trend in the food scene: salad boards. Salad in a bowl tastes exactly the same as salad on a board, but board salad is prettier I suppose and kind of like a snack plate with your greens. Seeing everything laid out all fancy does make it look more appetizing, but there’s a major problem. In practice, salad boards are straight-up disastrous. I guess I should have known, but it doesn’t seem like there would be any major issues. You put what you want on the board, add some dressing, then have people serve themselves. Unfortunately, this turned into one of those Instagram vs. Reality situations real quickly. The before. After collecting the ingredients for one of my favorite salads—a vegan Caesar with chick’n, croutons, a homemade spicy dressing, and some radishes (solely because I had ’em in the fridge)—I grabbed the only board I had available. It’s not very big, but it did the trick. First, on went the romaine (don’t @ me—the E. coli outbreak is over!), then I carefully piled on my toppings. Next came the dressing—and this is when all my problems started. Even though I made sure to not stack my salad
Cherries are the bedtime snack you didn’t know you needed
January 29, 2019 at 01:23PM by CWC You know the “George Washington chopped down a cherry tree” story you heard a million times in school? Well, turns out that’s a total myth. However, if the former president *did* cut down a cherry tree, it’s kind of hard to blame him for it. The fruit is insanely delicious (cherry pie is bae) and actually has bona fide health-boosting properties. “Cherries supply a good source of fiber and are rich in health-promoting antioxidants,” says Jill Keene, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified personal trainer in New York City. But you can also use cherries in targeted ways, namely to improve sleep and post-exercise recovery, she says. Here are the biggest benefits of cherries, according to Keene: 1. They can help promote healthy weight management One cup of fresh cherries has 100 calories and three grams of fiber. While fruit in general—especially higher sugar picks like cherries—has been maligned, there’s no reason to fear fruit. Eating more fiber via fruit is a good thing: ramping up fiber intake is associated with weight loss, research in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 2. They won’t mess with your blood sugar “Cherries are lower on the glycemic index, meaning they spike your blood sugar less than many other fruits,” says Keene. In a review on 29 studies on the benefits of cherries, researchers found that, among other perks, the fruit lowered HbA1c levels (a measurement of average blood sugar over a period of three months) in those