September 25, 2018 at 08:03AM Listen up, coffee lovers: You might think you’ve tried all the healthy, cutting-edge versions (fermented, Bulletproof, egg), but even the most-buzzed caffeine fanatics haven’t gotten their hands on every noteworthy brew. With National Coffee Day right around the corner (September 29!), there’s no better time to expand your java horizons—especially if you’re able to do it in America’s leading coffee metropolis. After crunching data from the 100 largest cities in America, factoring in the number of cafés per capita, coffee costs, and beyond, WalletHub determined that the locale with the strongest coffee scene is none other than New York City (aka Buddy the Elf was right!), taking the spot of last year’s winner Seattle…i.e., where Starbucks originated. Though it’s not wildly shocking for New York City to win the coffee title—the city that never sleeps needs to stay caffeinated, after all!—the East Coast isn’t only area where you can grab a life-changing, potentially cancer-fighting cup of joe. (Or, at least one that’ll gift you a serious jolt of energy—but make sure you don’t have too much of a good thing!) Bottoms up: These are the top 10 coffee cities in America. 1. New York, NY View this post on Instagram Warming up on this rainy day. #latte #favoritemug #nolita A post shared by @ cafegrumpy on Apr 6, 2017 at 2:27pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js 2. Seattle, WA View this post on Instagram First Starbucks @starbucks @pikeplacepublicmarket #starbucks #coffee #latte #firststarbucks #washington #seattle #pikeplacemarket #citylife #coffeeaddict #coffeelover #butfirstcoffee #coffeelife #ilovecoffee #coffeebreak #vacation #travel #travelgram #travelblog A post shared by
Category: 2019 Health
I tried the ketogenic diet to help with my anxiety—here’s what happened
September 25, 2018 at 07:50AM When you’ve had anxiety most of your life like I have, you’re familiar with all the tricks. Meditation, essential oils, probiotics, wine…I’ve tried it all. And while I’ve mastered some tools for feeling better in the moment (deep belly breaths do actually work, it turns out), nothing has been 100 percent effective in preventing the anxious feelings from rising up in the first place. Not everyone with anxiety experiences it the same way—or for the same reasons. Sometimes, I don’t even know why I’m feeling anxious. I just am. Other times, like if public speaking is involved, it’s almost a given that my heart will race and my stomach will feel queasy. As Well+Good’s food editor, I’m well aware of the mind-gut connection and that certain foods can boost your happiness levels. But experiencing anxiety isn’t quite the same as feeling depressed (though the two are often coupled). Recently, I’ve noticed that scientists are linking the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet to the treatment of certain psychological disorders including depression and anxiety, but also bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That seems pretty darn powerful, right? So besides being the diet of choice for Vanessa Hudgens, Adriana Lima, and yes, even Kim Kardashian, the mental health benefits were enough to really intrigue me. I decided to commit to the ketogenic diet for a month to see if I noticed a difference in my body and mood. Can the ketogenic diet ease anxiety? Keep reading to find out. Photo: Stocksy/Michela Ravasio Meeting the nutritionists
3 pieces of modern relationship wisdom from rock star psychotherapist Esther Perel
September 25, 2018 at 07:40AM Psychotherapist and relationship guru Esther Perel is on a mission to change the way we look at intimacy. According to the State of Affairs author, being in love—as wonderful and fulfilling as it is—can come with an unwanted side effect of immense pressure. Curious about what she means—and how to experience all the feels with less of that pressure? Keep reading for three tips of modern relationship advice, straight from Perel herself. Check out 3 pearls of modern relationship wisdom from rock star psychotherapist Esther Perel. 1. Conversations are the heart of relationships In relationships from yesteryear, so much was dictated by rules and societal norms, whether religious, based on social hierarchy, or something else. While some people totally still adhere to traditional customs, modern romance tends to skew more unclear when it comes to decisions big and small—like who will be the family breadwinner or who will plan the dates. And, as anyone who’s logged on to Asos “just to peruse” knows, the power of choice can sometimes present its own issues. So how do you maintain a healthy relationship with all that freedom? Face it head on, according to Perel. “All these big decisions that have burdened the selves like never before—we have to figure it all out. And because of that, conversations have become the heart of relationships,” she said. “We have to talk about stuff that we’ve never talked about, that we don’t know how to talk about, that we don’t have the vocabulary to
From Weight Watchers to WW: How the global weight loss company is evolving into a full wellness brand
September 25, 2018 at 06:55AM Three years ago, Weight Watchers was in trouble: The number of sign-ups was down 20 percent, from 3.6 million in 2014 to 2.9 million. Debra Benovitz, the brand’s SVP of consumer insights, conducted a study to glean more information on the company’s perception. And to do that, she asked a thought-probing visual question: “I asked people, if Weight Watchers was a house, what they thought it looked like,” she says. Benovitz put 300 photos on the wall, all related to home decor and architecture, expecting to glean a portrait of whom and what the brand represented in this modern moment of green juices and boutique fitness. Here’s how people described the “house of Weight Watchers” in 2015: “Warm traditional Tudor in family-friendly suburb. Outdated decor and overly cluttered florals. The owner is a pleasantly plump empty-nester who loves chit-chatting. She hosts book clubs and shares simple snacks from a box.” The takeaway: Clearly, the brand needed a makeover. How could the company get people to see that Weight Watchers was for Lululemon-loving, matcha-sipping women, too? The problem wasn’t that Weight Watchers didn’t work. The problem wasn’t that Weight Watchers didn’t work. The brand was founded on the intersection of science-backed ways to lose weight and consumer insights (AKA how to make it actually part of people’s lives). In fact, people following the program were eight times more likely to lose weight than those who tried to do it by themselves (according to a 2013 study), and
It might be the Second City, but Chicago’s first on our list of healthy hotspots in the Midwest—here’s why
September 25, 2018 at 04:30AM Gazing up the skyline of Chicago a few years ago, still claiming my East Village apartment in Manhattan as home, I gasped and muttered aloud, “It’s so clean, it’s blue.” And truly, after making these sparkling streets my own for the last two years, Chicago’s stunning eco-certified architecture and dialed train system (imagine signs that tell you how many minutes away your train is before you even descend the steps) are just a tiny glimpse of the multifaceted gem some call the Second City. With an underground music scene that rivals the best of New York and Austin (not to mention festivals like Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and Riot Fest), Chicago’s low-key atmosphere is ripe with friendly baristas, understanding fitness instructors, and well-versed Uber drivers ready to give you the scoop on its varied offerings—including the vegan spot that Beyoncé’s been known to hit up when she’s in town. Keep reading for a city guide of Chicago’s healthiest places to sleep, eat, and play. View this post on Instagram Come hang out in The Hall tomorrow! @warholkids will be popping up shop from 12pm-5pm. : @hallmerrickphoto A post shared by The Robey Chicago (@therobeychicago) on Jun 9, 2018 at 8:17am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Good Sleep The Robey The landmark Art Deco Northwest Tower was built in 1929 and transformed by Belgian design duo Nicolas Schuybroek Architects and Marc Merckx Interiors into this contemporary hotel equipped with breathtaking 180-degree views, not to mention a rooftop pool. It’s little wonder why
The derm-approved action plan for when a pimple forms deep under the surface
September 25, 2018 at 03:30AM Pimples are a pestilent, diverse breed. One thing that makes them particularly annoying is that you never know how they’ll make their grand entrance. Sometimes, you wake up with a fresh, juicy whitehead on your face, but then there are other times—just as undesirable times—in which you essentially get the message from beneath the surface that a pimple’s a-brewin’ weeks before anything shows up on skin. That’s how you know you’ve got cystic acne. When the cyst is in ghost mode (AKA you still can’t see it on the surface quite yet) it can be helpful to know what you’re up against. “It’ll usually appear as a round, red bump under the skin that is sore or tender to the touch,” says Marnie Nussbaum, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. “There will be no whitehead at the top.” It could also be warm to the touch, since it’s actually a bacterial infection of your skin, according to skin-care guru Jenefer Palmer, Osea’s founder and formulator. “Bacteria’s getting trapped inside the follicle and causing swelling as well as inflammation,” explains Dr. Nussbaum. This is why it’s pretty painful. Along with a slew of other factors including genetics, you can expect these to typically pop up around that time of the month. “An imbalance of hormones is often to blame,” explains Palmer. But it’s not the kind of thing you can slap your regular pimple treatments on, like benzoyl peroxide or hydrocolloid patches, and call it a day—cysts require