June 06, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Getting up in the morning is hard (coming from a dedicated snooze button hitter), but getting up in the morning to work out is exponentially more difficult. I’ve tried almost every exercise out there to get my bod going for the day, from boot camp to running and SLT (which is a killer), but finally I’ve discovered the one a.m. workout that I actually look forward to: my morning yoga routine. Yoga in particular is a wise workout of choice because not only are you getting its regular multitude of benefits—more space in your body, enhanced flexibility, and better balance—but practicing it in the morning can help with your sleep and mood. Seriously. “One of the major benefits of practicing yoga in the morning is better sleep,” says Kelly Clifton Turner, director of education for YogaSix. “Once you make your morning yoga flow a habit, your body will get used to waking up at that specific time. And this will help to regulate your circadian sleep cycles, which we often throw out of whack by varying when we go to sleep and wake up.” Working through some vinyasa first thing is also key for getting your body moving on the inside. “Incorporating a few twists into your morning yoga flow will also help stimulate your digestive system, which helps to get rid of any bloating from last night’s dinner and essentially setting you up to feel great,” she adds. Looking to cut back on
Category: 2019 Health
Coconut milk pudding is the grown-up version of your favorite lunch box treat
June 06, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC As a kid, if you got a pudding cup in your lunch box, it was definitely a good day. Whether you favored tapioca or chocolate, the dessert was up there with DunkARoos and Fruit Gushers as the end-all, be-all of sweet treats. But pudding hasn’t always been considered an adult-friendly food—until coconut milk pudding, an off-shoot of the alternative yogurts trend. “Coconut milk is great for pudding as it is naturally thick and creamy,” says Simple Roots Wellness founder Alexa Schrim. “It holds flavor well, without being overpowering and can really be cooked to the consistency of your liking. Plus, coconut is a powerhouse of nutrition containing healthy fats plus immune-boosting vitamins and minerals.” It’s a great option for dairy-free eaters, or really anyone who wants to revisit a classic. Brands like Sun Tropics and Jell-O make ready-to-serve coconut pudding options, but going the DIY route ensures you get a higher-quality, less-processed outcome. Schrim has mastered making coconut milk pudding herself and happily shares her expert tips with anyone who wants to try it themselves. Here, she reveals four major tips to keep in mind. Keep reading for her intel: Expert tips for making next-level coconut milk pudding 1. It’s all in the wrist. According to Schrim, the key to ending with thick, stick-to-your spoon pudding is buying full-fat canned coconut milk—and being a master whisker. “The trick to getting the consistency just right is to whisk it long enough over low heat,” she
How to find your spirit guide clique and call upon each specific one for guidance
June 05, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC If you’ve ever watched Aladdin and fantasized about how amazing it would be to have your own personal genie to fulfill your every wish (well, three wishes, but still), then you’re going to want to sit down to receive some great news: It turns out, you kind of do have one—or rather, several. But instead of genies that have to be coaxed from magic lamps, they’re spirit guides. Rebecca Campbell, spiritual teacher and author of Light Is the New Black, describes spirit guides as beings specifically chosen for you. Their number-one purpose is to support you and guide you. “Many have had lifetimes here on Earth,” Campbell says, adding that there is quite a spectrum of types of spirit guides (angels, ancestors, gods, goddesses, and spirit animals, for example), and each offers its own unique blend of skills and wisdom to share. Wondering how to find your spirit guide? The cool thing here is you don’t need to have special powers or possess any other prerequisite spiritual skill in order to find your spirit guide. “I believe that we are all intuitive and that we can all receive guidance,” Campbell says. “It’s just about relaxing your conscious mind and getting out of your own way so the connection can happen.” Most people, she adds, have an entourage of about six guides, and each is useful in different ways and called upon for different purposes. For example, you might have a spirit guide that
Aloe vera mists are the easiest way to help that sunburn majorly chill out
June 05, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Argument: It’s never too early to start getting excited about that vacation you’re eager to take this summer. That sunburn you’re likely to get on said trip, however? The thought of it doesn’t exactly spark joy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared with a bottle of soothing aloe mist in tow. While a dollop of the OG aloe gel will get the job done, these spray-on versions allow you to target specific areas and have better control over the amount you’re applying, making the sticky texture left behind a distant memory. Aside from enlisting the powers of the plant’s soothing benefits, these formulas serve up an extra side of nourishing ingredients to ease the healing process. Here, we put together a list of our favorite aloe mists to give your skin some post-sun hydration. Photo: Soleil Toujours Soleil Toujours Aloe Antioxidant Calming Mist, $26 The skin-soothing perks of aloe come together with green tea and potent vitamins C and E, so that as you’re packing skin with all of the good stuff (ahem: major hydration), you’re also helping to fend off future damage that could come from environmental aggressors. Talk about a one-two punch. Photo: Herbivore Herbivore Botanicals After-Sun Soothing Aloe Mist, $20 One pump imparts the same cooling effect as an ice cube placed directly on the affected area, but is a lot more effective at giving your skin the TLC it needs. Calming ingredients like lavender and mint work
6 things health experts do when they’re bloated AF
June 05, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC There are some things you can always count on in life: your BFF’s support, Mean Girls references never getting old, and the occasional post-meal bloat. It can happen to anyone, whether you’ve just eaten a massive salad or housed your third can of sparkling water of the day. And regardless of the cause, who wants to feel like they’re bursting out of their pants for the rest of the day? That’s why we tapped seven health experts, from doctors and RDs to Ayurvedic experts, to share their tried-and-true at-home remedies for bloating. They deal with it sometimes too—but since they know how the body works a bit better than the average person, they have some covetable insider knowledge on how to get rid of it fast. You’ll be feeling back to normal in no time. 1. Blend a detox smoothie Whenever The Bloat Cure author Robynne Chutkan MD, feels that annoying ballooning feeling starting to creep up in her gut, she uses her blender to make a quick bloat-fighting beverage. “My go-to bloat cure is my Gutbliss green smoothie, made with coconut water, collards, kale, parsley, pineapple, lemon, fresh ginger, and lots of ice,” she says. She drinks it at breakfast and at lunch that day, followed by a light dinner of veggie soup or broth. “By the next morning, fantastic things are happening in the bathroom—stool nirvana!—and my bloat is banished.” dr. Chutkan says all the glorious fiber in the leafy greens
6 things health experts do when they’re bloated AF
June 05, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC There are some things you can always count on in life: your BFF’s support, Mean Girls references never getting old, and the occasional post-meal bloat. It can happen to anyone, whether you’ve just eaten a massive salad or housed your third can of sparkling water of the day. And regardless of the cause, who wants to feel like they’re bursting out of their pants for the rest of the day? That’s why we tapped seven health experts, from doctors and RDs to Ayurvedic experts, to share their tried-and-true at-home remedies for bloating. They deal with it sometimes too—but since they know how the body works a bit better than the average person, they have some covetable insider knowledge on how to get rid of it fast. You’ll be feeling back to normal in no time. 1. Blend a detox smoothie Whenever The Bloat Cure author Robynne Chutkan MD, feels that annoying ballooning feeling starting to creep up in her gut, she uses her blender to make a quick bloat-fighting beverage. “My go-to bloat cure is my Gutbliss green smoothie, made with coconut water, collards, kale, parsley, pineapple, lemon, fresh ginger, and lots of ice,” she says. She drinks it at breakfast and at lunch that day, followed by a light dinner of veggie soup or broth. “By the next morning, fantastic things are happening in the bathroom—stool nirvana!—and my bloat is banished.” dr. Chutkan says all the glorious fiber in the leafy greens
The most French-girl way to wash your hair leaves your strands shiny AF
June 05, 2019 at 12:40PM by CWC I’m basically half-Parisian at this point. I swipe on micellar water twice a day, every day, for my French-girl fresh skin, I rarely wash my hair (it’s tres chic!), and wear stripey shirts like it’s my job. And now I’m taking my Paris-approved regimen one step further by drowning my hair in micellar shampoo. I know, you’re probably gasping—I was shook upon learning that micellar water, AKA the magical cleansing ingredient that removes gunk from your skin, can work that same gunk-removing magic on your strands and your scalp, too. Color me intrigued. Basically, what micellar molecules do to your hair exactly what they do to your face: They gets rid of all the dirt without leaving your hair overly dry and damaged. “Micellar water shampoo formulas are ideal for an everyday shampoo because it cleans away the oil and gunk your hair has picked up during your day,” says Herbal Essences beauty scientist Rachel Zipperian. “The tiny but powerful cleaning micelles work so well because one side of the micelle is attracted to oil, the other end is attracted to water. During use, the micelle is activated so it can trap the oil and suspend it in water that is then rinsed away.” Basically, it’s molecular magic. Many of these formulas use this technology so that they can tap traditional cleansing agents (things like sulfates and coca-betaine) at lower levels. Personally, I’ve used Kerastase’s take on a micellar shampoo and had really
The most French-girl way to wash your hair leaves your strands shiny AF
June 05, 2019 at 12:40PM by CWC I’m basically half-Parisian at this point. I swipe on micellar water twice a day, every day, for my French-girl fresh skin, I rarely wash my hair (it’s tres chic!), and wear stripey shirts like it’s my job. And now I’m taking my Paris-approved regimen one step further by drowning my hair in micellar shampoo. I know, you’re probably gasping—I was shook upon learning that micellar water, AKA the magical cleansing ingredient that removes gunk from your skin, can work that same gunk-removing magic on your strands and your scalp, too. Color me intrigued. Basically, what micellar molecules do to your hair exactly what they do to your face: They gets rid of all the dirt without leaving your hair overly dry and damaged. “Micellar water shampoo formulas are ideal for an everyday shampoo because it cleans away the oil and gunk your hair has picked up during your day,” says Herbal Essences beauty scientist Rachel Zipperian. “The tiny but powerful cleaning micelles work so well because one side of the micelle is attracted to oil, the other end is attracted to water. During use, the micelle is activated so it can trap the oil and suspend it in water that is then rinsed away.” Basically, it’s molecular magic. Many of these formulas use this technology so that they can tap traditional cleansing agents (things like sulfates and coca-betaine) at lower levels. Personally, I’ve used Kerastase’s take on a micellar shampoo and had really
Eco-keto makes a low-carb diet more environmentally friendly—but it’s not for everyone
June 05, 2019 at 11:46AM by CWC Ever since the ketogenic diet exploded into the mainstream last year, it’s spawned dozens of variations like keto cycling, targeted keto, dirty keto, and more. But as people are becoming more and more aware of the environmental impact of their favorite foods, another iteration of the eating plan aims to address some shortcomings of the red meat-heavy original: eco-keto. What’s that? Well, it’s like standard keto in terms of macronutrient breakdown of fat, protein, and carbs, but with a sustainable bent. “The exact definition of eco-keto is ever evolving and can be personalized. In essence, it’s an eco-friendly version of the ketogenic diet—a high fat, moderate protein, very low carb lifestyle, but one that emphasizes plants, limits or eliminates meat [and] animal products, and promotes sustainable choices and shopping locally,” explains Pam Nisevich Bede, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, a registered dietitian and keto expert with Abbott’s ZonePerfect. Unlike the more mainstream interpretation of the ketogenic diet (butter and bacon, anyone?), eco-keto involves zero (or very few) animal-based foods (hence the “eco” part of the name), while still putting a person into ketosis. The concept is very similar to the “Ketotarian” diet, which was started by Will Cole, DC. “The basic premise includes limiting animal products while still aiming to stay in ketosis. Dr. Cole started this trend, and eco-keto is merely an offshoot,” says Sam Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT, and lead dietitian at Snap Kitchen. However, while Ketotarian followers can eat eggs, ghee,
Eco-keto makes a low-carb diet more environmentally friendly—but it’s not for everyone
June 05, 2019 at 11:46AM by CWC Ever since the ketogenic diet exploded into the mainstream last year, it’s spawned dozens of variations like keto cycling, targeted keto, dirty keto, and more. But as people are becoming more and more aware of the environmental impact of their favorite foods, another iteration of the eating plan aims to address some shortcomings of the red meat-heavy original: eco-keto. What’s that? Well, it’s like standard keto in terms of macronutrient breakdown of fat, protein, and carbs, but with a sustainable bent. “The exact definition of eco-keto is ever evolving and can be personalized. In essence, it’s an eco-friendly version of the ketogenic diet—a high fat, moderate protein, very low carb lifestyle, but one that emphasizes plants, limits or eliminates meat [and] animal products, and promotes sustainable choices and shopping locally,” explains Pam Nisevich Bede, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, a registered dietitian and keto expert with Abbott’s ZonePerfect. Unlike the more mainstream interpretation of the ketogenic diet (butter and bacon, anyone?), eco-keto involves zero (or very few) animal-based foods (hence the “eco” part of the name), while still putting a person into ketosis. The concept is very similar to the “Ketotarian” diet, which was started by Will Cole, DC. “The basic premise includes limiting animal products while still aiming to stay in ketosis. Dr. Cole started this trend, and eco-keto is merely an offshoot,” says Sam Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT, and lead dietitian at Snap Kitchen. However, while Ketotarian followers can eat eggs, ghee,