June 10, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Food is confusing. Your coworker might credit the ketogenic diet for helping with weight management while your next door neighbor says it definitely didn’t work for her. In Europe, a cup of coffee after dinner is the norm, whereas if you tried to adopt the habit stateside, you know it would have you bouncing off the walls until 4 a.m. A new study looking at data from about 1,100 people found that 60 percent of how we respond to food is totally unrelated to DNA—meaning that how your body reacts to food is going to be different than how your mom, sister, partner, friends, or favorite Instagram influencer react to it. The study was performed by ZOE (in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital and King’s College London), a nutritional science company that wants to better understand how people respond to food. The research was led by Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, a co-founder of ZOE, and the director of the TwinsUK study. (Note: Spector presented his findings at the American Society of Nutrition conference in Baltimore, Maryland on Monday; a rep for ZOE says the study will be published later this year.) For two weeks, the participants (all healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65) ate a mix of pre-set meals provided by the researchers and “free-living meals” (aka what they’d normally eat), logged their meals, and collected and recorded certain biometric data after
Category: 2019 Health
Every personality type has a “wing” because we’re all unique snowflakes
June 10, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC According to the Enneagram inventory, every person has a distinct type among nine available options. Whether you’re a harmonious Nine, or a skeptical Five, you have a constellation of defining qualities. (Don’t know which of the nine Enneagram types fits you best? Check out an outline of the descriptions here.) But since people are highly nuanced, each type also has an Enneagram wing, which points to variability within each type, since we’re all highly individualized and unique. Your Enneagram wing tips the scale in one direction or another, connecting you to another type offering a few qualities of the adjacent type into your own. It’s kind of like being on the cusp of two zodiac signs, meaning you possess qualities of both. For example, perhaps you’re a Four on the Enneagram with a little bit of Three (4w3) or a Seven with a little bit of Six (7w6). Your Enneagram wing tips the scale in one direction or another, connecting you to another type offering a few qualities of the adjacent type into your own. Sort of like the influence your friends may have on you or the way your upbringing shapes who you become, the significance of your Enneagram wing is often felt without changing the core of who you are. All Twos are not the same, just as no two people are the same—and knowing your wing can provide you with a more textured view of your personality and why you
Now is the perfect cosmic time to double down and go into full slay mode
June 09, 2019 at 02:19PM by CWC This week we get a once-a-year phenomenon: a pre-summer solstice waxing moon. With the next full moon happening on June 17 and the upcoming solstice on June 21, a double dose of high-vibe cosmic voltage permeates life. The long days and moonlit nights ask you to experience the vibrant yang energy available. Expect to feel creative surges and explicit knowledge regarding what you want to accomplish. In the words of Queen Bey, “Okay ladies, now get into formation.” The week ahead offers the capacity to slay. Simultaneously, it also asks you to stay mindful and conscientious, too. In the words of Queen Bey, “Okay ladies, now get into formation.” The week ahead offers the capacity to slay. The week kicks off on Monday with a waxing quarter moon—which marks the halfway point between last week’s new moon and the upcoming full moon—in Virgo. This particular waxing quarter moon happens way early in the morning on Monday or Sunday night, depending on your whereabouts in the world. And it forms a grand mutable cross with the sun in Gemini, and Jupiter in Sagittarius (which oppose one another), while the moon in Virgo opposes Neptune. (Neptune simultaneously squares the sun and Jupiter, too. Hence, the grand mutable cross.) Translation? This waxing quarter moon asks you to not just focus on the details, but to center yourself on your spiritual purpose. You could wake up feeling behind, not enough, or just straight-up nervous. If so, trust
How to kick off your day with CBD-fueled mini facial
June 09, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfogmMwEeWk] So much of our mental and spiritual health rests on self-care. But making time for it isn’t always easy. If just thinking about slipping some “me time” into your schedule is stressing you out, career coach Claire Wasserman says to instead combine it with an existing habit. As the founder of career-development organization Ladies Get Paid, Wasserman’s pre-work ritual is designed to help her to maintain focus, she explains in the latest episode of Well+Good’s YouTube series Self-Care Nation. She kicks off each day with a series of self-care practices fueled by intention. And it all starts with espresso, followed by a unique morning facial routine. A full-on believer in the power of CBD, Wasserman multitasks while taking her daily dose. The 60 to 90 seconds she holds the oil under her tongue is the perfect time for gua sha. “As the CBD is under my tongue I am pulling the gua sha down the side of my face always pushing away. I find that it energizes my face, it feels like a little bit of a workout,” she says. “It gets that puffage away and by the time that I’m done with it I swallow the CBD.” For more tips to ensure a calm and productive morning, watch the video above. Meditation looks different for everyone. For some, it’s therapeutic cooking. For others, it can be a manicure. Continue Reading… Author Kara Jillian Brown | Well and Good Selected by
People love taurine for its exercise-boosting potential—but is it legit?
June 09, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC Trying to hit a new PR at the gym? Sometimes breaking through a performance plateau can be frustrating—which is why some corners of the internet would recommend turning to supplements like taurine for a boost. So what is taurine? “Our body makes taurine on its own and it is also found in some foods, mainly in animal products,” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder of Real Nutrition. It’s a sulfur amino acid, meaning that it has a sulfuric compound in it called sulfhydryl, and helps with protein structure in your body. There are several sulfur amino acids, but this one is called “taurine” because it was first discovered in the bile of bulls, says Steven Gundry, MD, author of The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age. What’s special about taurine? Research has found that the amino acid has certain potential antioxidant and metabolism-aiding properties, which is why it’s a popular supplement ingredient. Here’s what you should know about its potential benefits. What are some taurine benefits I should know about? 1. It may be good for brain health. Taurine is one of the few antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier (a filtering mechanism in your body that prevents some substances from reaching the brain) Dr. Gundry says, which is why studies have shown it can help reduce seizures in those who have drug-resistant epilepsy (although this was a mouse study, so results aren’t conclusive) and improve symptoms
People love taurine for its exercise-boosting potential—but is it legit?
June 09, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC Trying to hit a new PR at the gym? Sometimes breaking through a performance plateau can be frustrating—which is why some corners of the internet would recommend turning to supplements like taurine for a boost. So what is taurine? “Our body makes taurine on its own and it is also found in some foods, mainly in animal products,” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder of Real Nutrition. It’s a sulfur amino acid, meaning that it has a sulfuric compound in it called sulfhydryl, and helps with protein structure in your body. There are several sulfur amino acids, but this one is called “taurine” because it was first discovered in the bile of bulls, says Steven Gundry, MD, author of The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age. What’s special about taurine? Research has found that the amino acid has certain potential antioxidant and metabolism-aiding properties, which is why it’s a popular supplement ingredient. Here’s what you should know about its potential benefits. What are some taurine benefits I should know about? 1. It may be good for brain health. Taurine is one of the few antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier (a filtering mechanism in your body that prevents some substances from reaching the brain) Dr. Gundry says, which is why studies have shown it can help reduce seizures in those who have drug-resistant epilepsy (although this was a mouse study, so results aren’t conclusive) and improve symptoms
Live out your ‘Big Little Lies’ real estate dreams in these Monterey vacation cottages
June 09, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC If you’re a fan of HBO’s Big Little Lies, it’s hard not to seethe with real-estate envy. Every episode of the show, set in the picturesque California town of Monterey, features some seriously stunning coastal estates. But you don’t have to spend a million bucks to spend a weekend like Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Bonnie, and Renata. Whether you want to swing by the Blue Blues Cafe (Paluca Trattoria IRL!) on Fisherman’s Wharf, jog along Del Monte Beach, or unwind in an oceanside Pacific Grove cottage, these affordable Monterey Airbnbs are just the ticket. Plan a Big Little Lies vacation at a Monterey Airbnb Photo: Airbnb 1. Oceanfront 6-bedroom masterpiece Location: Pacific Grove Cost: $1,000/night This oceanfront Airbnb definitely lets you take in the beauty of the area. The six-bedroom home can be split with a group of friends to cut down on costs. And while you’re there, you can enjoy whale-watching from the deck, hiking nearby trails, and cooking in the fully-stocked gourmet kitchen. Photo: Airbnb 2. Historic John Steinbeck’s writer’s studio Location: Pacific Grove Cost: $205/night Author John Steinbeck made Monterey wanderlust goals, and you can stay in a charming home that was once owned by him. The one-bedroom cottage is the perfect spot for a romantic getaway with a lush garden and peeks of the ocean. Photo: Airbnb 3. Peaceful cozy beach cottage Location: Pacific Grove Cost: $195/night This beach cottage is just two blocks away from the Pacific Ocean. While you’re
Learn how to shuffle tarot cards for the most on-point reading—no fancy tricks or magic required
June 09, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Whenever I go to my friend’s apartment for rosé and a tarot-card reading (mostly for rosé, but as long as the deck is there…), I get embarrassed about not knowing how to shuffle tarot cards. See, if you’re getting your cards read by someone, your literal only job is to pick cards, and shuffle the deck, and maybe channel your energy toward the process. But whenever I try to shuffle the deck, I feel as though the cards are splaying about randomly and un-artfully and that I’m just doing it wrong. But why do we shuffle our tarot decks, anyway? Well, beyond the fact that you don’t simply want to draw the same cards over and over and over again, shuffling the deck is really important on an energetic level, according to Alexis Alvarez, an intuitive energy worker and spiritual advisor. “Shuffling serves a kind of meditative purpose in which we can ask for assistance, guidance and protection from our Divine Support System—our chosen belief system—during the card reading,” Alvarez tells me. “We can also use this shuffle time to ask, out loud or in our mind, the particular question we are trying to get advice on. This helps us ground and center our energy so we can be in the best state possible to connect with and retrieve the information we are seeking.” So when we mix up the cards, sloppily and with a Knight of Pentacles about to jump ship (or, y’know,
This $20 magnetic spice rack solves your tiny kitchen storage problems
June 08, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Clutter is a part of life, especially when you live in a small apartment. Take my kitchen, for example: Every cupboard is completely filled from top to bottom with everything from canned goods to adaptogens. But out of everything I’ve managed to pack in there, keeping my spices organized has become the biggest problem. As someone who loves to cook, I have just about every spice you can imagine. Finding enough storage for all the little jars is a nightmare. Even though I have a trusty bamboo step shelf organizer to keep them as organized as possible, I ran out of space a long time ago—which is why my next Amazon purchase is going to be this genius $20 magnetic spice rack that attaches to the wall. The stainless steel wall base can be hooked up anywhere in your kitchen and installed in seconds. Then you just need a batch of magnetic spice jars to go with it. After you fill them up with your favorite spices, your kitchen basically becomes a stunning art display of different colors and textures. And putting everything away is a cinch. The thing I’m the most excited about, though? Being able to open my cupboard without having to duck out of the way of a full-on avalanche of spice jars. It’s the little things. Here’s why you’ll want to save room for turmeric on your magnetic spice rack: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzFL6rA7aGU] Before you add your spices to your
This $20 magnetic spice rack solves your tiny kitchen storage problems
June 08, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Clutter is a part of life, especially when you live in a small apartment. Take my kitchen, for example: Every cupboard is completely filled from top to bottom with everything from canned goods to adaptogens. But out of everything I’ve managed to pack in there, keeping my spices organized has become the biggest problem. As someone who loves to cook, I have just about every spice you can imagine. Finding enough storage for all the little jars is a nightmare. Even though I have a trusty bamboo step shelf organizer to keep them as organized as possible, I ran out of space a long time ago—which is why my next Amazon purchase is going to be this genius $20 magnetic spice rack that attaches to the wall. The stainless steel wall base can be hooked up anywhere in your kitchen and installed in seconds. Then you just need a batch of magnetic spice jars to go with it. After you fill them up with your favorite spices, your kitchen basically becomes a stunning art display of different colors and textures. And putting everything away is a cinch. The thing I’m the most excited about, though? Being able to open my cupboard without having to duck out of the way of a full-on avalanche of spice jars. It’s the little things. Here’s why you’ll want to save room for turmeric on your magnetic spice rack: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzFL6rA7aGU] Before you add your spices to your