August 04, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Picture this: Here you are rummaging through your kitchen at 10 p.m. looking for a bedtime snack. You’re hungry, but can’t stop doing that thing where you dead-stare into the fridge as you contemplate what you “should” eat. We’ll save you some time and brain power: Grab a banana. Yes, a banana. Why is a banana before bed a good snack? First of all, banish those misconceptions that all late-night food is a bad idea. “Going to bed too hungry can disrupt the quality of your sleep, just the same as going to bed too full,” says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO and founder of NY Nutrition Group in New York City. A piece of fruit can be the perfect antidote to late-night tummy rumbles because it’s light while still offering filling nutrients like fiber. ad_intervals[‘412430_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412430_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); As for bananas, they have very specific properties that make them perfectly suited for nighttime nibbling. For one, the fruit contains tryptophan, Moskowitz says. Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps increase to production of serotonin, which can help calm and relax you, says Moskovitz. Serotonin is also a precursor to melatonin (meaning that it helps make melatonin), the neurotransmitter that helps you feel sleepy. Bananas do a double-whammy at bedtime because of their carb count—per the The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), carbohydrates help ferry tryptophan into the brain where it can get to work to up
Category: 2019 Health
What your teeth-brushing style says about you, according to me (and a dentist)
August 04, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Lately, I’ve been much more diligent about my oral-care routine. I’m talking brushing, flossing, the whole nine yards I should have been doing since I first learned the basics for how to brush your teeth. Better late than never, right? Anyway, with my newfound appreciation for my pearly whites in mind, I was extra interested when my co-workers recently debated the best order of operations for water and toothpaste application for how to brush your teeth. Is it toothpaste, rinse? Rinse, toothpaste? Rinse, toothpaste, rinse? I drew a total blank, realizing I’ve never considered the thought and couldn’t remember how I do it every day, twice a day, per the American Dental Association. How do I brush my teeth, I wondered? And, more importantly, am I doing it…wrong? Despite having been subject to countless demonstrations courtesy of dental hygienists over the last couple decades, I’ve never thought about whether the order in which I paste-up might matter. I mean, I know there are plenty of factors that do matter—like storing your brush properly so it dries well and doesn’t kiss bristles with any neighboring brushes, and not sharing brushes with anyone else, and not opting for charcoal paste. But water-pasting order? No clue. ad_intervals[‘412445_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412445_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Below, check out what your water-pasting brush order says about your personality. And then, more importantly, what’s actually optimal for your oral health, according to a dentist. Rinse
Pro tip: Do this yoga move to make any upper body workout more effective
August 04, 2019 at 11:00AM by CWC This morning, before I started knocking out some chest presses, lat flies, push-ups, and various other upper body stuff with heavy weights, my instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp had the class do some upward dogs. As in, you know, that yoga pose that you do in your sun salutations. When you first think about it, it sounds weird to pair a yoga pose with intense, boot camp-style strength training. But then everything make sense once you realize that a lot of asanas are all about stretching and opening up your muscles (and you’re supposed to stretch before you do any sort of workout, so… ya know). “Prior to any workout session, an active stretch is imperative,” says Steve Uria, creator and founder of Switch Playground, who also has clients perform a yoga series before they start into their strength training moves. “Once your body is slightly warm, an upward dog is an amazing chest opener, and helps the body prepare by activating the major muscles in the upper back as well as lower spinal erector muscles.” He adds that it even activates your cardio pulmonary system and increases lung capacity since you’re fully stretching your abdominals in that position. ad_intervals[‘412425_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412425_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Plus, in addition to stretching your upper body muscles, the move is strengthening them at the same time. “Upward dog has so many benefits like stretching the chest, releasing the lower back
If an eyelash curler and mascara had a baby, this would be it
August 04, 2019 at 10:02AM by CWC If there’s a beauty look that’ll never go out of style, it’s long and curly lashes. Lashes that look effortlessly lush and lifted. For the days when using an eyelash curler just isn’t an option, we’ve rounded up the top mascaras to give you that fluttery look in the blink of any eye. Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content and education at clean beauty boutique The Detox Market, says the key to curly lashes is finding a mascara with a lightweight formula. “A mistake people make is even when they do curl their lashes, they use a really volumizing mascara or thickening mascara that actually weighs their lashes down,” Wikes explains. “Think of mascara like your hairspray: if you curl your hair, but then put gel on it [the curl is] going to all fall out.” ad_intervals[‘411842_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘411842_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); She also says seeking out a mascara with a curved brush “because the curve, kind of as you’re applying, pushes the lashes up.” And if you’re in a rush, Merrady recommends applying mascara, and then using your index finger to press your lashes up as they dry. How to curl lashes without a curler using the best lash-curling mascaras Photo: Ilia Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara ($28) If you look closely, you’ll see that one side of the brush has tiny bristles, and the other side is more like a comb. “Do your
This $30 online course at Harvard teaches you to eat and exercise your way to better brain health
August 04, 2019 at 08:05AM by CWC The American school system is a bit bonkers, if you really think about it. No one teaches you how to plan for the debt you take on, read a lease agreement, or, like, raise another human being. Instead, you learn things like geometry—with some exceptions, of course—you’ll basically never need again until it’s time to help your own kids with their homework (by which point you’ll have retained little beyond, “Yes, that’s a triangle!”). An even more glaring omission than any sort of training around adulting is education around the body and mind, and what both need to stay well throughout life. After all, you can’t adult if you’re dead, am I right? And while I’m sure they’ve updated health class to rid it of the laughably misguided food pyramid and expand it beyond condom demonstrations featuring bananas, wellbeing is a bit more complicated than what can be broadly covered in a one-semester catch-all class (as evidenced by thousands of articles on this site alone). ad_intervals[‘412561_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412561_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Luckily, an online course at Harvard is picking up the slack by offering a course in eating and exercising your way to cognitive fitness. You don’t have to dial up Rick Singer or mortgage your house (just kidding, no one owns houses anymore) to enroll it it, either, as it’s just $30. The course lasts two weeks and requires approximately 2-4 hours of time per
Is at-home ear seed acupuncture actually legit?
August 04, 2019 at 06:01AM by CWC Acupuncture is fairly mainstream, with people turning to it for pain, anxiety, and even fertility. While the list of benefits is long, it can be time-consuming and expensive, which is why when I first heard about ear seed acupuncture, which you can do on your own at home, it piqued my interest. The Amazon reviews for a product one of my Well+Good colleagues found retailing for about $19 were mixed; 63 percent of reviewers awarded the product five stars, but 15 percent gave it only one. I couldn’t tell from the comments alone if this was something legit or not, so I decided to ask a couple licensed acupuncturists what they thought—including what the heck ear seeds are actually used for. What exactly are ear seeds? Depending on the type you buy, ear seeds are made of either metal or vaccaria seeds, sourced from the vaccaria plant and popular in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The metal or seeds are put on adhesive tape, which you can then place on your ears, applying the pressure by rubbing them in a circular motion for a few minutes; you can do this all at home and don’t need an acupuncturist to do it. ad_intervals[‘411862_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘411862_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “Ear seed acupuncture seeds are different from traditional acupuncture needles called acuneedles. These seeds are used as a complementary approach and are rooted in the same belief system as traditional acupuncture,”
The full-body workout that stretches *and* tones at the same time
August 04, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I like to feed two birds with one scone—always. While I do it with multi-tasking beauty products and eating prunes (because, ya know), my workouts are my favorite avenue to combine steps. That’s why I opt for things like resistance band sequences for better posture and yin yoga for emotional release. Now, thanks to the legendary at-home fitness instructor Denise Austin, I’m all about workouts that tone as they stretch. Austin has been teaching this fitness modality for the past 30 years (which you may or may not have seen on TV). “I always had a segment called ‘tone and stretch,’ and these have always been the most popular because it’s two workouts done in one,” says Austin. “When you’re stretching and toning the body, it happens to work on balancing your body.” How could something so genius exist, you may ask? “It’s one of the easiest ways to work out that’s simple on your joints,” Austin tells me. “That’s why I love it—anyone can do it, and it’s a complement to a tougher, more cardio-based workout.” ad_intervals[‘410965_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘410965_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); The multi-tasking effect happens in opposites—when you’re working on strengthening one side of your body, the opposite side of the muscle gets stretched (in Austin’s workouts, at least). “The opposite muscle’s the one being stretched,” she explains. “As an example, when you’re doing a butt lift on your hands and knees and lifting
13 top wellness entrepreneurs say they owe their success to these healthy habits
August 04, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC At risk of sounding like that cat hanging onto a tree branch in the inspirational poster in your dentist’s office: Success (whatever that means to you) doesn’t come overnight—and that’s okay. What’s more, it’s often not one giant jump that gets you to the top of the ladder, but the little things in our everyday routines that build us up step by step. “Habits are important because they make good choices automatic,” says Laura Vanderkam, productivity expert and author of Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. Vanderkam defines productive habits as ones that bring you closer to the life you want, and will also set the right tone. Stacking these healthy habits is what leads to success, she says. “I believe in everyday rituals and creating magic from mundane moments,” adds Latham Thomas, doula and founder of Mama Glow. “I know that rhythm and ritual help punctuate my day with presence.” ad_intervals[‘412814_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘412814_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Need some examples of what these magical mundane moments look like? Here are the 9 simple healthy habits wellness entrepreneurs attribute to their success. 1. Tackle the tough stuff first Let’s get right to it: Procrastinating can be a total detour from your road to success, which is why Brittany Carbone, founder of CBD brand TONIC, says that when it comes to handling problems, she tackles The Big One first. “Jumping on the most harrowing
The Dutch have their own version of JOMO—and it has serious health benefits
August 03, 2019 at 02:01PM by CWC Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my new favorite word: niksen. Roughly translated, this Danish word means doing nothing—or, as I’m describing it, the art of listening to Truth Hurts by Lizzo on repeat without thinking about anything in particular. It’s kind of like putting your brain on low-power mode. Following in the footsteps of such mindsets like hygge and lagom, niksen is another example of a Nordic mindset we could all take a few wellness cues from. (It’s cool, here in the U.S. we have this thing called burnout. Ever heard of it?) Doing nothing feels like a radical thing. I’ve had a to-do list for as long as I can remember. The last time I did nothing was probably around the time Kim Kardashian was Paris Hilton’s assistant. Stop, breathe, live slowly and lushly is not exactly something we’re taught. Work-life balance? I don’t know her. It’s all about the grind. Having a never-ending to-do list is pretty much a bragging right. Oh, you got four hours of sleep last night? Well I was up until 2 a.m. working on my idea for a bee farming co-working space. It’s like that scene in Mean Girls, except instead of body image we’re all trying to one-up each other with how tired we are. This mindset, that we need to be perpetually exhausted and stressed, worshipping at the altar of the hustle, in order to be successful, is why many of
OMG, I forgot to pack a bra to change into after my sweaty workout—what do I do?
August 03, 2019 at 12:03PM by CWC Move over, Black Mirror, because I’m coming in hot with a truly haunting story. Picture, if you will, a Monday morning. You’re patting yourself on the back because you made it to your pre-work spin class instead of hitting snooze eight times. You hop out of your gym’s shower, your skin smelling faintly of a body wash that is definitely more expensive than the one in your shower. You’re feeling confident that today is going to be a great Monday. You go to get dressed… and you realize you forgot to pack a bra. The Lizzo playing through your headphones suddenly turns to the Psycho theme. There is, of course, no time to go home. In this hypothetical situation, Mercury is not in retrograde—you have no one to blame but yourself. I am a person who has a substantial list of Things I Am Anxious About; after hearing that this happened to a friend I have added a “forgetting bra” scenario to that list. Because I am the kind of person who once left her car keys sitting on top of her car for hours, it’s both surprising that I have never forgotten my bra, and inevitable it will eventually happen to me. Seriously, what do you do? Put back on your sweaty sports bra, which began to go cold the minute you took it off? (It now feels like a clammy hand.) Go braless to work? Buy a new bra? Create makeshift