June 07, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC When I’m walking around the streets of New York City, there are a lot of things I’ve come to expect on almost every block: a bodega, a food cart, and a massage place with a foot reflexology chart planted on the window. I’m always interested in all three, but it’s the foot reflexology that I’ve yet to actually try for myself (and everyone tells me I’m missing out). Here’s the deal: Foot reflexology is an old-school practice of touching certain points in your foot that correspond with other points in your body for all sorts of benefits. “Reflexology is pressure points on the foot which are energetically connected to other areas in the body” explains Juhi Singh, Chinese herbalist, acupuncturist, and founder of the Juhi Center. “Different points on the feet can help stimulate and pass energy to organs throughout the rest of the body. For example, points on the tip of the toes can stimulate the head, while the ball of your foot can reflect in your heart and chest.” All you’ve gotta do is stimulate these points, and it works as a sort of alt-therapy for a multitude of health perks. “Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative therapy which involves applying pressure to the feet with the help of your thumb, fingers, and props without using oil or lotion,” says Naveen Sharma, naturopathy counselor at YO1 Wellness Center in the Catskills, New York. The benefits of doing this? “You can
Category: 2019 Health
8 natural ways to keep your energy up without resorting to coffee
June 07, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC So you’ve decided to give up caffeine—good for you (and godspeed). There are a ton of reasons why people give up coffee and other forms of caffeine, whether it’s to help with anxiety symptoms or to stop feeling such a crash in the afternoon. But whatever your reason, there’s no doubt that the first few days of caffeine withdrawal can be R-O-U-G-H. (Hello, caffeine headache, lethargy, and crankiness.) But now if you’re left wondering how to stay awake without caffeine, don’t worry—it’s totally possible. We talked to nutrition and sleep experts to nab their best tips for staying alert and awake during the day when coffee is just not an option for you. No selling your soul required! 1. Prioritize eating for energy Eat a healthy, balanced meal, recommends Amy Shapiro, RD, founder and director of New York City-based Real Nutrition. “If you go long without food, you’re going to get tired,” she says. She suggests reaching for a snack or meal every three to four hours, making sure that you include a mix of complex carbs, lean protein, and a healthy fat—say, a salad with chicken, avocado, and vegetables, or a quinoa bowl with roasted veggies and salmon. (You can find some other afternoon snack ideas here.) “This will balance your blood sugar and keep your energy up,” she adds. 2. Sniff on some citrus “There’s some evidence that citrus—such as eating an orange or having some lemon in your water—can help
I found the gym machine that gives you a full-body workout in a single move
June 07, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC There are approximately 10,000 things I’d rather do than use the rowing machine—or the “erg,” if you’re fancy—at the gym: Confront every boy who’s ever ghosted me, participate in the Fear Factor food challenge, or sit next to a crying baby on an airplane whilst hungover (and the list goes on). I know it’s a great workout, because it fires up pretty much every muscle in your body as it spikes the heart rate, but it’s just so hard. So recently, when I discovered a new type of “rowing” machine popping up in my HIIT classes, I was equal parts intrigued and intimidated. Unlike the regular erg, which sits on the ground in order to mimic the action of rowing a boat, this one is called a “ski erg,” and stands upright. You pull the handles down, which somehow mimics the act of using ski poles, and winds up giving you a damn good—and kind of, sort of, fun—workout in the process. “The ski erg is a low impact workout and a high calorie burner,” says Tatiana Lampa, a trainer at FitHouse, where I first discovered the machine during a particularly intense HIIT class. It works your lats, triceps, abs, low back, hamstring, glutes and calves (so, basically your entire body), while also packing a major cardio punch. “I like using it as a ‘cardio sprint, or even at the end of a workout for metabolic conditioning,” she explains. “That way you reach EPOC
I found the gym machine that gives you a full-body workout in a single move
June 07, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC There are approximately 10,000 things I’d rather do than use the rowing machine—or the “erg,” if you’re fancy—at the gym: Confront every boy who’s ever ghosted me, participate in the Fear Factor food challenge, or sit next to a crying baby on an airplane whilst hungover (and the list goes on). I know it’s a great workout, because it fires up pretty much every muscle in your body as it spikes the heart rate, but it’s just so hard. So recently, when I discovered a new type of “rowing” machine popping up in my HIIT classes, I was equal parts intrigued and intimidated. Unlike the regular erg, which sits on the ground in order to mimic the action of rowing a boat, this one is called a “ski erg,” and stands upright. You pull the handles down, which somehow mimics the act of using ski poles, and winds up giving you a damn good—and kind of, sort of, fun—workout in the process. “The ski erg is a low impact workout and a high calorie burner,” says Tatiana Lampa, a trainer at FitHouse, where I first discovered the machine during a particularly intense HIIT class. It works your lats, triceps, abs, low back, hamstring, glutes and calves (so, basically your entire body), while also packing a major cardio punch. “I like using it as a ‘cardio sprint, or even at the end of a workout for metabolic conditioning,” she explains. “That way you reach EPOC
This woman is challenging some big yoga assumptions
June 07, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Well+Good presents Wellness in Color, a new series highlighting prominent wellness practitioners of color who are doing healing work in their communities. Featuring conversations led by Latham Thomas, a Well+Good Council member and the founder of Mama Glow, these stories shine a spotlight on energy workers, nutrition experts, sexuality doulas, and other wellness luminaries. Here, Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, the founder of Naaya Wellness—which creates yoga and mindfulness programming for people of color—explains why she’s so passionate about her mission. Photo: Joel Arbaje Latham Thomas: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do with Naaya Wellness? Sinikiwe Dhliwayo: I was born in Zimbabwe and left when I was about two. After I was injured while training for the New York City Marathon, my physical therapist suggested doing yoga. I kept going back to the practice because I was working in an environment that wasn’t very supportive, and yoga became a respite. Then I worked with Bent On Learning, a nonprofit that puts yoga in public schools for kids. With Naaya, I’m working on an accessible teacher training program, and I’m always thinking of ways to push a visual narrative of what wellness looks like. Despite the fact that there are teachers of color in yoga or meditation, there is no visibility. To me, it’s important to change the conversation visually as well. What inspired you to do this work? Working with kids and seeing how they were benefiting from
This woman is challenging some big yoga assumptions
June 07, 2019 at 03:30AM by CWC Well+Good presents Wellness in Color, a new series highlighting prominent wellness practitioners of color who are doing healing work in their communities. Featuring conversations led by Latham Thomas, a Well+Good Council member and the founder of Mama Glow, these stories shine a spotlight on energy workers, nutrition experts, sexuality doulas, and other wellness luminaries. Here, Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, the founder of Naaya Wellness—which creates yoga and mindfulness programming for people of color—explains why she’s so passionate about her mission. Photo: Joel Arbaje Latham Thomas: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do with Naaya Wellness? Sinikiwe Dhliwayo: I was born in Zimbabwe and left when I was about two. After I was injured while training for the New York City Marathon, my physical therapist suggested doing yoga. I kept going back to the practice because I was working in an environment that wasn’t very supportive, and yoga became a respite. Then I worked with Bent On Learning, a nonprofit that puts yoga in public schools for kids. With Naaya, I’m working on an accessible teacher training program, and I’m always thinking of ways to push a visual narrative of what wellness looks like. Despite the fact that there are teachers of color in yoga or meditation, there is no visibility. To me, it’s important to change the conversation visually as well. What inspired you to do this work? Working with kids and seeing how they were benefiting from
You’re not crazy: Here’s how to deal with gaslighting in any relationship
June 07, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC The trickiest part about knowing how to deal with gaslighting in a relationship is being able to decipher whether you’re actually being gaslighted in the first place. When I first started sifting through my mental archives, I wasn’t even sure I had ever experienced it. Then I remembered the last time my ex randomly texted me the Wikipedia page of “narcissistic personality disorder,” saying he was “trying to help.” There was also the time I “invented” that he told me he broke up with his new girlfriend over the weekend, despite texts confirming such events were literally in my phone. Or like 40 other incidents that resulted in him saying, “you’re being crazy right now” to me. So basically, I realized years later that gaslighting was the defining quality of my longest on-and-off relationship. Better late than never? Maybe, but I’m assuming you don’t have a decade of your life to waste, so let’s cut to the facts, here. Psychotherapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, a sex and relationship expert, says it’s one thing to be lied to, but “it’s another when your partner denies the truth when they look you in the eye, and you know they are lying to you. You have proof, and they keep denying it.” Essentially, it’s the language and behavior a person uses to usurp your sense of what’s actually going on. “When they lie to you when they’ve been confronted and try to deny your reality in the
You’re not crazy: Here’s how to deal with gaslighting in any relationship
June 07, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC The trickiest part about knowing how to deal with gaslighting in a relationship is being able to decipher whether you’re actually being gaslighted in the first place. When I first started sifting through my mental archives, I wasn’t even sure I had ever experienced it. Then I remembered the last time my ex randomly texted me the Wikipedia page of “narcissistic personality disorder,” saying he was “trying to help.” There was also the time I “invented” that he told me he broke up with his new girlfriend over the weekend, despite texts confirming such events were literally in my phone. Or like 40 other incidents that resulted in him saying, “you’re being crazy right now” to me. So basically, I realized years later that gaslighting was the defining quality of my longest on-and-off relationship. Better late than never? Maybe, but I’m assuming you don’t have a decade of your life to waste, so let’s cut to the facts, here. Psychotherapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, a sex and relationship expert, says it’s one thing to be lied to, but “it’s another when your partner denies the truth when they look you in the eye, and you know they are lying to you. You have proof, and they keep denying it.” Essentially, it’s the language and behavior a person uses to usurp your sense of what’s actually going on. “When they lie to you when they’ve been confronted and try to deny your reality in the
I found the podiatrist-approved sneaker that’s actually really cute
June 07, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC You know the feeling—it’s just warm enough to comfortably run your errands without becoming a sweaty mess, and you’re hitting the streets in your go-to sneaker. Though you feel good when you leave the house, by the end of the day, your feet and ankles may be craving some more support. For days like this, podiatrist Diane Koshimune, DPM, swears by sneakers from Taos, a brand that makes canvas shoes with arch support. When I hear arch support I immediately think of grandpa sneakers, but as Dr. Koshimune describes Taos kicks: “They look kind of like a Converse and Keds had a baby.” Apparently everyone, especially those with flat feet, can benefit from walking in more supportive sneaks, because it helps keep your body aligned. “If you’re someone who is doing some normal walking or exercising and you’re finding that your ankles or your heels are becoming a little bit sensitive or you start working out and your knees hurt,” Dr. Koshimune says that “it could be from that malalignment.” The Taos sneakers come in 12 styles, each with multiple colorways, priced between $80 and $120. Each one comes with a removable pad that hugs the contours of your feet, while providing support to the ball of your foot, your arch, and your heel and absorbing shock. But forgive me, why can you just take your Converse or your Keds and try to add some arch support to make them more friendly? “The shoe
This dairy-free strawberry milkshake get its creaminess from a secret ingredient
June 06, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Enjoying a hot summer day with an ice cream cone dripping down your hand is truly magical. But you can skip the mess with a milkshake. There’s nothing more refreshing than sipping an ice-cold shake through a straw. While a dairy-free milkshake is often made with a banana base, you can use one of your favorite vegetables instead. Cauliflower makes a great lower-sugar, dairy-free milkshake, according to Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker. She never thought she’d enjoy drinking cauliflower, but it happened. And she’s accepted it. “If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be putting the words ‘cauliflower’ and ‘milkshake’ in the same recipe title, I would have told you you’d lost your mind. And yet here we are, working cauliflower into a dang milkshake,” she writes. Cauliflower provide creaminess while sneaking plenty of fiber, vitamin C, and folate into your dessert. Unlike some cauliflower recipes, this one isn’t messy. All you need to do is blend frozen riced cauliflower with a few handfuls of frozen strawberries, raw cashews, and almond milk. “It tastes nothing like cauliflower and everything like a milkshake,” she says. So, yes, this summer I’m most definitely going to be one of those people who’s whipping up dairy-free milkshakes. What’s better than eating your vegetables for dessert? For other healthy dessert options, try these vegan chocolate chip cookies. And if you want to add some fruit into the mix, these 20 options won’t disappoint. Continue Reading…