June 07, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC I’ve taken to sighing approximately, oh, 22,000 times a morning, and I’m worried that my co-workers thing I’m an uptight, bored, and rude. The meaning of sighing is, after all, murky at best and the connotations of it are mostly negative. Sure, you can sigh of relief when your college friend cancels those after-work dinner plans. Or you can sigh dreamily when you scroll past the most perfect trifecta of Harry Styles, Gucci, and piglets. But mostly sighing conjures that phase of your life when wearing liquid eyeliner was a moody personality trait. And I’m trying to escape my reputation as the token Goth Teenager in every room I inhabit. Is my sighing habit precluding me from such progress? If you have similar anxieties, brace yourself for one of those big relief sighs: Sighing is actually a incredibly benign reflex that we all do pretty much constantly. On average, a person sighs every five minutes, which is about 12 times an hour. And while that may seems excessive, it actually may be a factor that’s keeping us alive. One study from UCLA and Stanford points to how the purpose of sighing is to inflate the alveoli, balloon-like sacs where oxygen enters and carbon dioxide leaves the bloodstream. Sometimes the alveoli collapses, so sighing is engaged to bring in double the oxygen to pop it back up again. Otherwise, your oxygen-to-carbon-dioxide process is compromised, and—not to get catastrophic—your lungs will fail. That biological function aside,
Category: 2019 Health
Sick of EVOO? Try these 11 healthy, nutritionist-approved salad dressings instead
June 07, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Summer time is peak salad season—it’s the best way to make the most of all the in-season produce at the farmer’s market without having to turn on the oven. But there’s only one downside: It’s really, really easy to get sick of lemon and EVOO as your go-to healthy salad dressings. And healthy bottled options just don’t exist, right? Wrong. While many are loaded with sodium and sugar, there are still plenty of healthy options if you know what to look for, says Maggie Moon, MS, RD. “Most bottled salad dressings are created for shelf-life, so watch out for preservatives and additives that you would never add at home,” she says. Look for options in the refrigerated section, as they are likely to have fewer or no preservatives, she says. Be sure to read the nutrition facts label and ingredients statement. “Aim to keep sodium below 200 mg per serving, [and it’s] even better if it’s 140 mg per serving,” says Moon. Plus, try to keep added sugars below 5 grams, as well as saturated fat below 1 gram. And a tip? Thick creamy dressings are generally higher in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, so be extra cautious with those. Ready to add some pizazz to your bed of greens? Shop these 11 dietitian-approved healthy salad dressings for fun, flavorful salads and marinades. Photo: Mother Raw Mother Raw Greek Dressing ($8) “I love this dressing because it’s made with extra-virgin olive oil and ingredients that
Sick of EVOO? Try these 11 healthy, nutritionist-approved salad dressings instead
June 07, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Summer time is peak salad season—it’s the best way to make the most of all the in-season produce at the farmer’s market without having to turn on the oven. But there’s only one downside: It’s really, really easy to get sick of lemon and EVOO as your go-to healthy salad dressings. And healthy bottled options just don’t exist, right? Wrong. While many are loaded with sodium and sugar, there are still plenty of healthy options if you know what to look for, says Maggie Moon, MS, RD. “Most bottled salad dressings are created for shelf-life, so watch out for preservatives and additives that you would never add at home,” she says. Look for options in the refrigerated section, as they are likely to have fewer or no preservatives, she says. Be sure to read the nutrition facts label and ingredients statement. “Aim to keep sodium below 200 mg per serving, [and it’s] even better if it’s 140 mg per serving,” says Moon. Plus, try to keep added sugars below 5 grams, as well as saturated fat below 1 gram. And a tip? Thick creamy dressings are generally higher in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, so be extra cautious with those. Ready to add some pizazz to your bed of greens? Shop these 11 dietitian-approved healthy salad dressings for fun, flavorful salads and marinades. Photo: Mother Raw Mother Raw Greek Dressing ($8) “I love this dressing because it’s made with extra-virgin olive oil and ingredients that
The 1 factor that improves workplace wellness for nearly every Myers-Briggs type
June 07, 2019 at 10:20AM by CWC As of late, many companies are trying to find the winning formula for how to be happy at work with initiatives like unlimited vacation, pet-friendly offices, and stocked snack drawers, to name just a few. Because happy employees equal a productive work environment, you know? While we await that magic answer to reveal itself, some new intel might help inform progress. Enter a recent survey of 10,000 people across 131 countries by The Myer-Briggs Company. The participants were asked to rank six factors of workplace wellness: positive emotions, relationships, engagement, meaning, accomplishment, and negative emotions. And for the third year in a row, healthy relationships with coworkers was valued most highly across nearly all the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. All together now: awww! But also, duh. A 2017 review of studies by the Ohio State University made the case that working with friends has two solid benefits: First, it caters to productivity (friend coworkers collaborated better on random tasks than strangers did). And second, getting yourself a work wife can make you, well, happier. For the third year in a row, healthy relationships with coworkers was valued most highly across nearly all the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. And it’s worth noting that even introverts benefit hugely from positive work relationships. Not just even, in fact, but especially. The results showed all introvert personality types except INTJ (which opted for “accomplishment”) prioritized relationships over all other factors. The only two other types that didn’t
The 1 factor that improves workplace wellness for nearly every Myers-Briggs type
June 07, 2019 at 10:20AM by CWC As of late, many companies are trying to find the winning formula for how to be happy at work with initiatives like unlimited vacation, pet-friendly offices, and stocked snack drawers, to name just a few. Because happy employees equal a productive work environment, you know? While we await that magic answer to reveal itself, some new intel might help inform progress. Enter a recent survey of 10,000 people across 131 countries by The Myer-Briggs Company. The participants were asked to rank six factors of workplace wellness: positive emotions, relationships, engagement, meaning, accomplishment, and negative emotions. And for the third year in a row, healthy relationships with coworkers was valued most highly across nearly all the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. All together now: awww! But also, duh. A 2017 review of studies by the Ohio State University made the case that working with friends has two solid benefits: First, it caters to productivity (friend coworkers collaborated better on random tasks than strangers did). And second, getting yourself a work wife can make you, well, happier. For the third year in a row, healthy relationships with coworkers was valued most highly across nearly all the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. And it’s worth noting that even introverts benefit hugely from positive work relationships. Not just even, in fact, but especially. The results showed all introvert personality types except INTJ (which opted for “accomplishment”) prioritized relationships over all other factors. The only two other types that didn’t
This is by far the easiest way to make healthy dumplings at home
June 07, 2019 at 08:28AM by CWC One of my absolute favorite things to order for takeout is a steamy plate of dumplings. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve paid a pricey delivery fee just to get Peacefood Cafe‘s mouth-watering shanghai-style dish sent to my door. (A lot, okay? And worth every bite.) To cut down on takeout costs, I’ve been trying to learn how to make dumplings at home, and I think I finally found the perfect recipe. Francesca Bonadonna, the blogger behind Plantifully Based, recently shared her vegan chick’n and broccoli dumplings recipe. They’re as easy to make as they are delicious. The trick to their simplicity is store-bought dumpling wrappers since the homemade version can be really tough for beginners to get right. After wetting the edges of the wrappers and filling them with a savory mix of plant protein and veggies, just pinch the dumpling together. Yep, that’s it. (If you want to get real fancy, you can watch this YouTube video explaining 10 folding techniques.) While the dumplings steam, mix up a simple sauce to dip them in. It’s better than takeout any day. How to make dumplings at home View this post on Instagram A post shared by Francesca | Plantifully Based (@plantifullybased) on Jun 5, 2019 at 2:37pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Vegan chick’n and broccoli dumplings Ingredients 20 store-bought dumpling wrappers 1/2 cup vegan chicken 1/2 cup chopped broccoli 2 to 3 stalks chopped green onions 1 tsp sesame
This is by far the easiest way to make healthy dumplings at home
June 07, 2019 at 08:28AM by CWC One of my absolute favorite things to order for takeout is a steamy plate of dumplings. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve paid a pricey delivery fee just to get Peacefood Cafe‘s mouth-watering shanghai-style dish sent to my door. (A lot, okay? And worth every bite.) To cut down on takeout costs, I’ve been trying to learn how to make dumplings at home, and I think I finally found the perfect recipe. Francesca Bonadonna, the blogger behind Plantifully Based, recently shared her vegan chick’n and broccoli dumplings recipe. They’re as easy to make as they are delicious. The trick to their simplicity is store-bought dumpling wrappers since the homemade version can be really tough for beginners to get right. After wetting the edges of the wrappers and filling them with a savory mix of plant protein and veggies, just pinch the dumpling together. Yep, that’s it. (If you want to get real fancy, you can watch this YouTube video explaining 10 folding techniques.) While the dumplings steam, mix up a simple sauce to dip them in. It’s better than takeout any day. How to make dumplings at home View this post on Instagram A post shared by Francesca | Plantifully Based (@plantifullybased) on Jun 5, 2019 at 2:37pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Vegan chick’n and broccoli dumplings Ingredients 20 store-bought dumpling wrappers 1/2 cup vegan chicken 1/2 cup chopped broccoli 2 to 3 stalks chopped green onions 1 tsp sesame
Here’s what a healthy plate looks like on the Mediterranean diet
June 07, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC There’s no denying that the Mediterranean diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest eating plans for longevity, heart benefits, and more. In fact, just this year it was named the top diet in US News and World Report’s annual ranking. Why? Well even though diets like keto and Paleo are right on trend, the Mediterranean diet never (and probably won’t ever) go out of style, as it’s sustainable and easy to implement without the onerous restrictions of these “up and coming” diets. It’s also backed by a wide variety of scientifically-proven benefits. It’s been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, says Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, and it’s rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals to make it a great anti-inflammatory way of living, she adds. “On top of that, we are seeing diets very rich in fiber and plants are able to better support the microbiome, or the balance of healthy flora in our gastrointestinal tract,” she adds. However, it’s not always clear what it actually looks like to eat a Mediterranean diet on a day-to-day basis. I know there’s lots of olive oil involved, some wine, and definitely some salmon…but apart from that, because the eating plan is so broad, it’s kind of hard to know if you’re doing it right. That’s why I talked to nutrition experts to get a breakdown of the Mediterranean diet macros, plus what a healthy,
Here’s what a healthy plate looks like on the Mediterranean diet
June 07, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC There’s no denying that the Mediterranean diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest eating plans for longevity, heart benefits, and more. In fact, just this year it was named the top diet in US News and World Report’s annual ranking. Why? Well even though diets like keto and Paleo are right on trend, the Mediterranean diet never (and probably won’t ever) go out of style, as it’s sustainable and easy to implement without the onerous restrictions of these “up and coming” diets. It’s also backed by a wide variety of scientifically-proven benefits. It’s been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, says Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, and it’s rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals to make it a great anti-inflammatory way of living, she adds. “On top of that, we are seeing diets very rich in fiber and plants are able to better support the microbiome, or the balance of healthy flora in our gastrointestinal tract,” she adds. However, it’s not always clear what it actually looks like to eat a Mediterranean diet on a day-to-day basis. I know there’s lots of olive oil involved, some wine, and definitely some salmon…but apart from that, because the eating plan is so broad, it’s kind of hard to know if you’re doing it right. That’s why I talked to nutrition experts to get a breakdown of the Mediterranean diet macros, plus what a healthy,
Could “magic mushrooms” follow in the footsteps of cannabis on the road to legalization?
June 07, 2019 at 07:25AM by CWC In some states, it’s not even legal to sell lattes laced with CBD. Meanwhile, in Oakland, California, they’ve moved on to decriminalizing “magic mushrooms” known to cause hallucinations. Similarly, over in Colorado, residents of Denver narrowly voted last month to make possession and consumption of psilocybin mushrooms “the lowest law enforcement priority.” (The mushrooms remain illegal, however, and it will still be a felony to sell them.) Given how rapidly opinions and laws are changing surrounding cannabis, these new moves from Denver and Oakland raise the question if magic mushrooms are slated to get the marijuana treatment. The medical community is split on the safety of psilocybin mushrooms. Some experts point to true health benefits of these substances, including helping with anxiety and depression, chronic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. Conversely, consumption can lead to psychotic episodes or engagement in potentially reckless behavior. Many questions about psilocybin mushrooms remain in part because the medical community—and the U.S. government—has been unwilling to study them and other psychedelic compounds. Therefore, growing interest comes from independent research organizations, like Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), The Beckley Foundation, and the Heffter Research Institute. (The soap company Dr. Bronner contributes to MAPS’ research, although its latest donation is intended for research into MDMA, another psychedelic drug, and mental health issues.) American citizens hold conflicting views on psychedelic mushrooms, too. As Time pointed out, 53 percent of respondents to a 2017 YouGov survey said they support medical research