January 26, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC In the digital age, one of the most exciting parts of traveling is being able to share all the highlights of your trip on social media, whether that’s swimming with cute pigs in the Bahamas or visiting some of the most stunning national parks in the country. And what do these trips usually start with? A quick Instagram post featuring your enviable #boardingpass. The only issue is that seemingly innocent shot could put you into a world of trouble. According to Popular Mechanics, Noam Rotem, an Israel-based security researcher, uncovered a major problem with showcasing those pieces of paper online. You know the six-digit codes printed on both boarding passes and luggage tickets? Well, it’s called a passenger name record (PNR)—and he found hackers who obtain them can possibly retrieve personal data from travelers. “Just by guessing PNRs, I was able to access personal data and change contact details of customers,” he said. Not cool. That’s not all you can do with a PNR, though. If someone gets access, they can steal your flights and frequent flier miles, change your seats—basically everything. And those barcodes on your tickets are a problem, too. If someone has a barcode-scanning app, they can snag private information about you as well. Even though Rotem was able to hack into one online booking platform in particular, it’s a big issue across the board: The technology airlines use to get you from point A to point B is still pretty archaic in general
Category: 2019 Health
With dance cardio’s more spiritual cousin, the goddess vibes are intense (and honestly, fun)
January 26, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC If you’ve never heard of ecstatic dance, you’re not alone. (And no, I’m not talking about that moment when the DJ plays Lizzo’s Good as Hell.) Think of ecstatic dance as dance cardio’s more free-spirited cousin. Yes, it’s common in spiritual communities, but don’t worry, it doesn’t require Wild Wild Country levels of commitment. The experience of a ecstatic dance, which has been around for thousands of years, can actually be incredibly beneficial for the mind, body, and spirit. And it happens to be a whole lot of fun. “The first time I experienced ecstatic dance, I felt like a portal of new expression opened up,” says Cara Patton, who does ecstatic dancing once a week in her home city of Eugene, Oregon. “As a kid, I took ballet lessons and I was never quite able to follow the moves, and I sort of wrote off dancing. But the great thing about ecstatic dance is that I have complete freedom to move however I want.” Patton adds that the ecstatic dance community emphasizes consent and ways to nonverbally express boundaries, which she loves. “I enjoy this way of movement so much that I’ll be hosting a special ecstatic dance session at my wedding this summer.” But how does it work, exactly? Let’s take a closer look. Photo: Stocksy/Maahoo Studio Inside an ecstatic dance class Ecstatic dance ceremonies are held regularly all over the US (check out a few of them here), and it’s safe
Why is astrology such a thing right now? Our woo-woo-iest editors explain
January 26, 2019 at 03:38AM by CWC Every so often, Team Well+Good goes *deep* with Slack chats—so much so that sharing them feels like the right thing to do. For instance, a couple of weeks ago, a few questions about dating app etiquette ballooned into the first Well+Good roundtable on swiping right. And today, it’s all about astrology—as in, why it’s so crazy popular right now. (Remember when you’d never heard of Mercury retrograde? Or Saturn return?) Here, senior editor Jordan Galloway and Los Angeles editor Erin Magner help me make sense of the cosmic enthusiasm that’s taken over our lives. ERIN H.: Hi! So I have to admit that I am increasingly viewing everything—and describing everything—through the lens of astrology. Maybe it’s confirmation bias, maybe it’s magical thinking, or maybe it’s real…but it’s been very helpful as a tool for self-reflection. I know you two have had a similar trajectory, being skeptical journalists who nevertheless can talk rising signs and new moons with the best of them. So, first question… How are you using astrology now, that you haven’t in the past? For me, I definitely read Jennifer Racioppi’s column each week, and can rattle off info about the cosmic conditions affecting everyone—planetary transits, eclipses, full moons, etc. And I check out my sun sign horoscope, though not every day. What about you? JORDAN: I feel like after spending several years in astrology 101—mainly just reading my horoscopes and focused on my sun sign—I’ve leveled up over the past few years to
Asking for a friend: Is it bad to eat basically the same thing every day?
January 25, 2019 at 09:29AM by CWC Ask a healthy celeb or a wellness influencer what they like to eat, and you’ll probably hear something like, “I eat the same thing every day!” Classic answers include: smoothies (or Greek yogurt with berries), grilled chicken and veggies, salmon and quinoa, lemon water. It’s basically the Mark Zuckerberg approach to nutrition. Instead of wearing jeans and a hoodie 24/7, you’re streamlining healthy eating by just eating the same foods every day. While their choices do seem quite healthy (who doesn’t love a routine?), it begs the question: Is eating the same thing every day good for you? While some registered dietitians might find themselves drinking their go-to smoothie for breakfast every morning, or having the same salad at lunch, most will argue on the side of variety. “If your goal is to get or stay healthy, then variety in your diet is definitely important,” says Christine Palumbo, RDN, a Chicago-based dietitian. Here’s why you should be switching up what you eat on the regular: 1. You’ll get tons more nutrients There just might be something to that old saying “mother knows best.” “Mother nature has provided all the nutrients you need, and by eating a varied diet, it helps to ensure you’re going to get an adequate amount of all of those nutrients,” says Palumbo. We’re not just talking macronutrients like fat, protein, and carbohydrates, but all of the micronutrients, such as the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help keep your immune
Running out of room for plants? A vertical garden will let you keep feeding your obsession
January 25, 2019 at 01:04PM by CWC Unlike other healthy things you can hoard, like crystals or essential oils, there’s a relatively low limit to the number of plants a city-dwelling gal can amass. After all, the typical apartment only has so much free floor and tabletop space, and an individual pot can bogart a lot of this square footage depending on its shape. But there is one solution that’ll allow you to continue feeding your botanical obsession once you’ve run out of room in the usual places: Start a vertical garden. Houseplant Masterclass and Homestead Brooklyn founder Summer Rayne Oakes is a huge fan of this tactic, having created multiple vertical gardens for her New York City home. “The concept of a vertical garden is simply growing plants vertically on a wall, as opposed to horizontally, like in a planter on the shelf,” says Oakes, author of the forthcoming book How to Make a Plant Love You: Cultivate Green Space in Your Home and Heart. “You can cultivate so many more plants since we’re often short on space, horizontally speaking.” What’s more, she adds, this type of planting is super striking from an aesthetic perspective. “I fell in love with the concept of vertical gardens ever since I saw French designer Patrick Blanc’s vertical displays. It’s so cool how you can create a beautiful work of living art in your home and watch it change and grow.” Plus, the process of actually creating a vertical garden isn’t as intimidating as you might
22 mocktail recipes that prove booze is irrelevant
January 25, 2019 at 12:51PM by CWC A typical Friday night might include a little laugher, some great conversation, and a big pitcher of margaritas. Sounds perfect. By morning, though, you might be wishing you hadn’t sipped on something so strong. Ditching alcohol doesn’t mean skipping out on the rest of the fun, but you’ll need a few mocktail recipes to keep the party going. Mocktails don’t have to be boring or short on flavor. They’re easy and inexpensive to make, and most offer some health benefits to boot. We’ve gathered more than a few party-perfect recipes that won’t cause a hangover. Keep it classy with these mocktail recipes. Photo: Stocksy/Tatjana Zlatkovic 1. Red splash mocktail This drink features basically all of your favorite fruits: blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, and cranberries. Together, they create a sweet mix everyone at your gathering will enjoy. Photo: SweetPhi 2. Cucumber melon spritzer No matter the time of year, a mix of cucumber, watermelon, and LaCroix is always refreshing. Photo: Like Mother Like Daughter 3. Sunrise grapefruit mocktail Tart grapefruit gets a sweet twist from the splash of grenadine in this bubbly concoction. Photo: April Golightly 4. Frosted lime spritzer This beverage requires nothing more than lime, lemon-lime soda, a little salt, and a thyme sprig for garnish. Photo: The Wooden Skillet 5. Spicy jalapeño margarita mocktail Like your ice-cold drinks with a little heat? Jalapeños spice up these citrusy margaritas. Photo: The Merry Thought 6. Watermelon mojito mocktail Ready for a drink that will meet all your hydration needs?
Curious about acupuncture? Here’s what you should know before trying it
January 25, 2019 at 12:47PM by CWC Acupuncture can be daunting for the uninitiated. After all, who wants to willingly submit themselves to a session of poking and prodding? Take it from me, the Biggest Baby in the World: I’ve experienced more pain flossing my teeth than going to acupuncture. As nervous as I was initially to willingly submit to being a human pincushion, I’m glad I stuck it out that first time—because I left the session feeling a little calmer, a little more limber, and a lot happier than when I came in. It wasn’t just a placebo effect, either. According to Dr. Elizabeth Trattner, doctor of Chinese and integrative medicine, an acupuncture session can raise levels of specific hormones, boost immunity, and stimulate the secretion of endorphins and neurotransmitters that act as natural painkillers and mood boosters. While it isn’t necessarily intended to replace medical care (especially in cases of serious disease like cancer), it can be a useful tool in promoting wellness. Acupuncture can “harness the body to assist itself in healing versus giving a medication,” Dr. Trattner says. It’s been shown to help with stress and anxiety, sleep issues, fertility, and even sex drive. So yes, there are absolutely a lot of benefits. But acupuncture, like any other health-related procedure, requires some more research (and risk assessment) before just showing up to your nearest clinic. Here’s what you need to know before your first session. How acupuncture works “Acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese theories of
A bottle of this drugstore serum sells every minute, so I tried it to see if it’s worth the hype
January 25, 2019 at 12:48PM by CWC If I had to pick a “favorite skin-care ingredient” (beauty nerd alert!) it would be hyaluronic acid. The moisture-binding agent may not be as trendy as vitamin C or be able to settle the qualms of quite as many skin woes as the ever-sexy retinol, but as someone with dry skin, it keeps water in my complexion on the driest days. Its most significant claim to fame is that it can hold a thousand times its weight in water, which makes it a major hero for instilling life into dehydrated skin. “Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning that it draws moisture into the skin,” says Austin dermatologist Ted Lain, MD. “It is an important ingredient, since this time of year the dry air tends to dehydrate the skin. Having a humectant helps to combat the actions of the winter climate.” Long story short: It’s amazing, and I am completely into it. That’s exactly why I had to get my hands on the best-selling, mass-market serum L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum ($24), a bottle of which sells every. single. minute. in the United States. After testing it out, I can see why. The jelly texture is super slick—almost like a primer—and it goes on seamlessly. It isn’t greasy, but it is a little bit sticky post-application, so I like to apply a layer of moisturizer on top to really seal it in. After using it, my skin felt hydrated, smooth, and slightly plumper
How many times a week can you have arm day? We asked a trainer to find out
January 25, 2019 at 12:17PM by CWC The other day, I was lifting weights to work my arms when I stopped to wonder: How many days a week should I be isolating them as I lift? We’ve all seen those #armday memes on Instagram, but how many times a week is too many times to work out a single part of the body? “If you have limited time, that’s when you should do body-part specific moves because you want to focus on what you want to get stronger,” says Lacey Stone, celebrity trainer and founder of Lacey Stone Fitness, which offers virtual fitness training. Here’s the deal, though—different body parts get their own days because, well, training is hard. “Strength training damages your muscle fibers and causes them to break down,” says Andrea Somer, Equinox tier 3 personal trainer at Equinox Santa Monica. “During recovery, these muscles can repair themselves and grow stronger than before.” Hence why after a hard workout day, you’re sore and/or limping around like you’ve just gotten beaten up (just me?). It’s because of that soreness that people train different body parts on different days. “If you break down your workout days by body parts, you can allow those muscles to recover for 48 hours while still being active and training a different muscle group the next day,” Somer explains. At the same time, of course, everyone’s recovery time and lifestyles are different. “If you have great recovery abilities because you eat well, supplement your diet,
In the aftermath of a fight, here’s how to calm your mind and body
January 25, 2019 at 11:42AM by CWC Whether you get into a verbal fist fight with someone you love, witness a disagreement that turns physical on your morning commute, or become a virtual bystander to a heart-wrenching viral video, emotional fallout can feel like a dark cloud you just can’t get out from under. In some situations, opting out simply isn’t an option (like, say, when family member is scrutinizing your life choices), but psychologists say that learning how to deal with conflict and taking a few steps to care for yourself in the aftermath can alleviate future trauma. “Depending on how stressed you were before the event, it can take 20 minutes to three hours to come down from that high-alert status,” says Mellisa Sherlin, author of Offensive Compassion: 24 Things You Can Do Today to Combat Hate in the Real World. Since both physical and emotional factors are at play here, you’ll need the know-how around both components before you can really start to show up for yourself in the healing process. Below, the experts share exactly how to do that. What’s happening physiologically after a fight—and how to deal According to the Sherlin, physical and verbal altercations alike can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response. When you fight, your heartbeat speeds up, your adrenaline kicks in, and blood rushes to your muscles to prepare you to throw a punch. In flight, your breathing turns shallow as you prepare to run. A freeze response is similar to “playing dead.”