January 22, 2019 at 12:59PM by CWC You know that famous expression about porn—how you know it when you see it? The same can probably be said for hot flashes because as any menopausal or perimenopausal person would tell you, you know when you’re having one. “As a 52-year-old friend said to me recently, it’s like there’s an oven on inside of you,” explains Aviva Romm, MD, author of The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution. “A hot flash can come on as a slow roll of heat from the inside out, or it might start at your head and work downwards, or the other way around.” Fun! For some women, hot flashes can be mild. For others, they’re so uncomfortable that it makes them want to jump out of their skin. “The sensation can last for seconds or persist for several minutes, and may be accompanied by sweating and then feeling cold after as the sweat evaporates and you cool down,” says Dr. Romm. Hot flashes are one of the most common side effects of menopause. Unfortunately, you can still get them for years after menopause ends, which is just great. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to regulate symptoms, says Dr. Romm. Here’s what you need to know. First of all, what causes hot flashes? From a physiological perspective, hot flashes are caused by a decline of estrogen in the body, which naturally occurs as women age (cough menopause cough). Not every person who goes through menopause has hot flashes, but
Category: 2019 Health
The “goal pyramid” is the fitness motivation you didn’t know you needed
January 22, 2019 at 12:53PM by CWC The term “slow and steady wins the race” may be slightly cliché (and was technically coined by a talking fairytale tortoise), but when it comes to setting fitness goals, it actually might be the best advice on the Internet. Hear me out: This time of year, people are jumping head first into their harder-better-faster-stronger routines, only to peak by the third week of January and fully give up by February 1. While any trainer will tell you that setting goals is an important part of sticking with something, setting lofty, longterm ones without a clear path as to how you’re going to achieve them is essentially setting yourself up for failure. So instead of sprinting toward the finish line (whatever it may be) right out of the gate, approach your year-long goals with a one-step-at-a-time mindset. Case in point: In her new book The 6 Keys, Jillian Michaels introduces the world to the goal pyramid, which breaks your ultimate goal into easily achievable subsets so that you set yourself up for success. “I always recommend a goal pyramid: You put your ultimate goal the top of the pyramid, then break it down into monthly, weekly, daily, and immediate goals,” says Michaels in our ReNew Year program. This makes it all very tangible, and helps to keep things from becoming overwhelming—it allows you to chart a road map to any and every goal. Start at the top, and work your way backwards. What is the ultimate
PSA: Eating cacao before bed is a *really* good idea
January 22, 2019 at 12:30PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XunIxyXbyQs] Things that have never been more popular: CBD and cauliflower—and now cacao. The superfood is a staple in healthy recipes, snacks, and desserts. But beyond the taste, are there any legitimate benefits of cacao? Enter Well+Good’s new video series, Plant-Based, which aims to dig deep (pun intended) into all things that grow in the ground and how they impact your health and nutrition. For the first episode, we talked to herbalist and holistic nutritionist Rachelle Robinett to get the goods on all things cacao and, TL;DR, I really want to run to Whole Foods and grab some cacao nibs right now. Cacao is not the same as chocolate. Like cocoa powder and chocolate, it comes from the cacao bean, but cacao is made from unroasted, cold-pressed beans and without added sugar. This helps it preserve a very impressive nutrient profile, says Robinett. “Cacao is very nutrient dense,” says Robinett. It’s high in antioxidants as well as nutrients like magnesium (which can help reduce stress), potassium, and iron. Cacao is also high in healthy fats to help us stay satiated and energized, she adds. Another perk to cacao is its alkaloid content. Alkaloids are naturally-occurring compounds often found in plants; the alkaloids in cacao, Robinett says, “interact with different neurotransmitters in our body and help us feel good.” So, yeah, there’s a reason why eating a piece of dark chocolate makes you feel so damn good. All of this makes cacao a great before-bed
You’re not imagining it—so many cool, sustainable fashion lines are coming out of California right now
January 22, 2019 at 11:41AM by CWC Every city has its “thing” when it comes to fashion. Parisian designers deal in effortless glamour, New York’s the epicenter of individuality and personal expression, while Los Angeles and San Francisco—where so many healthy trends begin—are quickly gaining a reputation as hotbeds of crazy-covetable sustainable fashion labels. Perhaps the best-known of these brands is Reformation, an LA label that launched in 2009 and has since become a staple for cool girls around the globe. (Many of whom likely aren’t even aware that their slip dresses and cropped tees are made using eco-friendly fabrics, in a factory prioritizing fair labor practices.) “When I started Reformation 10 years ago, sustainability in fashion was not a priority in the industry,” says founder Yael Aflalo, who says she set out to be “a leader for that change.” And she more than achieved her goal—once she proved that environmentally-friendly, ethical clothing doesn’t have to be boring, tons of other newcomers followed suit. Interestingly enough, many of the ones getting the most attention are based in Reformation’s home city and state. According to Dechel Mckillian, owner of sustainable concept shop Galerie.LA, around 40 percent of the brands she carries are from Los Angeles alone. (The rest are sourced and manufactured around the world, from Lithuania to China.) Scroll through any style-conscious, West Coast wellness influencer’s Insta feed, and you’ll see tags for designers like Christy Dawn, who creates all of her Topanga Canyon-goddess sundresses in limited editions from deadstock fabrics;
Access to birth control just got a lot easier with home delivery in all 50 states
January 22, 2019 at 10:36AM by CWC In coverage of women’s healthcare, “access” is a word that dominates headlines in perpetuity. And for good reason: From state to state, access varies greatly when it comes to booking an appointment for an abortion, buying emergency contraceptive, or obtaining a prescription for birth control. On Tuesday, The Pill Club becomes the first online service to deliver birth control to doorsteps in every U.S. state and Washington, D.C., regardless of insurance coverage—a feat considering more than 19 million women live in “contraceptive deserts” across America. To put this plainly, it’s a huge (huge!) step toward closing the accessibility gap for both women who want to start taking the pill as well as those who simply want to skip the monthly visit to the pharmacy. While The Pill Club is now licensed to deliver medication in all 50 states, it can only prescribe in 35. If you live in one of the 15 states that doesn’t yet legally comply with the company just yet, you’ll still need a prescription from a doctor that The Pill Club then transfers into its pharmacy to deliver to you. In zip codes where it is permitted for the company to help you choose a contraceptive, you’ll be able to speak with a nurse practitioner via text message to discuss over 100 brand-name and generic options. “Anyone can sign up [online], but there are definitely barriers depending on the state where the patient resides,” says Janell Sanford, the company’s head of pharmacy.
I watched “The Bachelor” for the first time and all I got was a new workout routine
January 22, 2019 at 10:32AM by CWC Last night, I lost my Bachelor virginity. After spending 22 seasons as a pop culture pariah who had to mute her group text and Twitter notifications for 18 hours starting at 8 p.m. on Monday nights, three of my friends finally talked me into seeing what all of the fuss was about in Bachelor nation. And…wow. I could write a small novel on my initial reactions to the show—and feel like now is the appropriate time to admit that I spent most of this morning Googling “How do I get on The Bachelor?”—but there was one thing that really stuck out to me: The women on this show are strong AF. And while I will most definitely not be stealing flirting tactics from them (personally, I’ve never seen any guy respond well to girls talking badly about each other, no matter how artfully mastered their hair flips are), I will be giving a rose to their workout routine. The episode I tuned in for on January 21st featured a “strongest woman challenge” group date, which required the women to undergo a series of really, really intense-looking physical feats. After a solid 3-minute montage of Underwood and his abs doing full-body battle rope moves, which was quite frankly the highlight of my week, it was his suitors’ turn. The producers put them through a gauntlet of hilarious-yet-hard wedding-related workout activities, including: A cake push (AKA pushing a sled with 100 pounds of weight on it, decorated like a 3-tier wedding
7 major brands told us their best-selling leggings and the list is way more satisfying than today’s Oscar noms
January 22, 2019 at 10:24AM by CWC Science says what you wear can influence your behavior, a claim to which every person who’s ever, you know, gotten dressed for a date, an interview, or a hip-hop dance class, responds “duh.” Personally, I spend more time trying on slouchy-sexy-cool outfits before a dance class than I do actually learning how to dance. When I get it right, I feel like Beyoncé. When I don’t, I feel like a middle-aged lady who takes class once a month trying to hold her own with real dancers young enough to be her daughter. Which is what I am. But I digress… Following this logic—that an outfit which makes you feel most like a badass may help you behave most like a badass, too—I’ve wondered if the same might be true for wearing something that’s the *best,* too. Will buying the best enable you to become the best? With this half-baked theory in mind, I’ve scouted the best-selling leggings from (what else?) seven of the best athletic wear brands around. If one of these magically transforms you into Serena Williams, I get 10 percent (JK). If they don’t, well, you’ve still got some damn good outfitting happening north of your ankles. Keep reading to shop the best of the best in leggings, 2019. Photo: Athleta Athleta Salutation Stash Pocket Tight in Powervita, $89 This soft, high-rise yoga pant features something called a CoolMax crotch gusset (giggle, giggle), AKA a lining which allows your vag to
The Big Five personality test is quick and dirty (and still super introspective)
January 22, 2019 at 08:33AM by CWC I won’t hesitate to admit that I’m a sucker for personality quizzes. I am particularly fascinated by my results of the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (any other INFJs in the house?). I feel like it explains a lot and allows me to dig a little deeper into why I am the way I am—such as my tendency to avoid conflict at all costs. But Myers-Briggs isn’t the only assessment you can use to get a clue about your personality. While Myers-Briggs is an intensive self-assessment, the Big Five is quick and dirty (yet sufficiently introspective), taking no more than 3 minutes to complete. Myers-Briggs breaks down your personality traits into 16 different personality types, the Big Five—as you can tell by the name—has a narrower focus. “The Big Five is a simple questionnaire which asks about a person’s preference and style, focusing around five personality traits,” says Katy Caselli, an organizational psychologist who specializes in personality frameworks. “The tool can be used for individuals to learn about themselves and their strengths, or it can be used by organizations to predict success. Many organizations use it in order to gain insight on who will become a successful leader.” The quiz is often comprised of a series of prompts that ask you to select a response on a scale that ranges from something like “strongly disagree” to “agree strongly.” As a result, you’ll get to see where you are on a spectrum of 0 to 100
35 healthy winter dinner recipes that will hit all your comfort food cravings
January 22, 2019 at 06:58AM by CWC Real talk: The last thing anyone wants to eat when winter hits is a salad. Polar vortexes and frigid winds require big bowls of pasta, hearty soups, warm casseroles…basically anything that’s cozy and stick-to-your-ribs filling. (Sorry, salads.) Admittedly, these aren’t exactly the type of meals that have a rep for being healthy. But this is 2019—you can make anything healthy if you have the right recipes and ingredients on hand. To that end, check out these 35 healthy winter dinner recipes. They’ll hit the spot on those freezing nights, but they won’t weigh you down or leave you feeling gross later either. Talk about a win-win. Scroll down for 35 healthy winter dinner recipes to keep you satisfied until spring. Photo: Hummusapien 1. Creamy vegan broccoli cauliflower soup We’re in the middle of a cauliflower revolution, and this rich soup from blogger Hummusapien is a way to enjoy the veggie beyond your usual pizza crust or stir fry. The potatoes add to its heartiness, and also give some potassium and vitamin C. It’s also made with a full head of broccoli, which ups the amount of folate and fiber. Photo: Oh She Glows 2. Instant Pot cauliflower and butternut Thai curry Another way to make good use of all the cauliflower in your fridge is with this easy Instant Pot recipe, which brings the heat in more ways than one. The starring ingredient in Oh She Glows’ recipe is butternut squash—a glorious winter
The foam rolling move you need for every kind of workout on your to-do list
January 22, 2019 at 02:48AM by CWC No matter what type of workout sparks joy in your life, any trainer will tell you that there’s one vital component of recovery that every exercise junkie needs to add to their routines: foam rolling. But just as there is no one-size-fits-all equation for a fitness regimen (you may love bootcamps while your best friend swears by barre class), there’s no universally effective foam-rolling move, either. In fact, you can—and actually, should—be catering your foam-rolling routine to your workout for the sake of an effective recovery. “A full-body routine is always beneficial for all workouts, however different workouts require different mechanics that emphasize certain muscle groups over others, and each workout will have different primary movers that drive our capabilities,” explains Corinne Croce, DPT, cofounder of New York City’s Body Evolved. “It’s wise to perform sport-specific foam rolling drills so you are focusing on the muscles that drive the work and effect performance the most.” So whether you’re tapping it back on the spin bike or down dogging it out on your yoga mat, here’s how to cater your foam rolling routine (which, FYI, can be done before or after your sweat sesh) to whatever specific workout is on the menu. And yes, your muscles will thank you later. If you can’t get enough running or spinning: Inner thigh foam rolling drill: Keep your legs from feeling the usual day-two soreness with two easy moves following an intense cardio sesh. “The inner thigh muscles (adductors) are powerful