May 31, 2019 at 05:03PM by CWC Anyone else feel like a few lifetimes were lived in the month of May?! It’s been such a mix of energies and opportunities to really step into one of the main themes: self-esteem. June is definitely bringing with it a whole new set of rules, asking us to be more conscious in working with Earth energies and to practice being less reactive. This month, anytime you are triggered by someone or something, practice “the pause.” Rather than jump into a reaction that may cause you or others pain: breathe, breathe, breathe. Drop into yourself deeply. Connect to where you are in the moment and remember you are in charge of how you feel and your energies and emotions in the situation. Be sure to take as much time as you need to truly be calm and centered before responding. Get clear about: “What is my truth in this situation? How do I want to feel in this? What energy do I want to bring to the table?” We are here on Earth to learn, love, and evolve—and June presents us with the energies to go big with that. June is a time for you to really beautifully be anchored in your power, and if you want an experience to be an incredible one, know that you can absolutely make it so. Get resolute that this experience is one that you are so in gratitude and joy about that no outside force will be
Category: 2019 Health
This is exactly how sugar can mess with your anxiety—and what to do about it
May 31, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC There are some things you know are going to make your anxiety worse: WebMDing your stomach ache, foregoing sleep to list all the ways your work presentation could go wrong, calling your friend who freaks out about everything…But treating yourself to a scoop of Rocky Road or a cupcake from your favorite bakery, that’s going to make you feel better right? Sometimes, 100 percent yes. But other times, that sweet treat can backfire, sneakily causing all sorts of changes that can lead to the opposite of feeling good: anxiety. Here, health experts break down the relationship between sugar and anxiety, and what you can do to combat it. How are sugar and anxiety related? The problem with sugar, says hormone health educator Candace Burch, is that it causes blood sugar spikes and drops, which directly affects mood. “The rush of sugar leads to sugar highs, giving a lot of energy, but then the lows lead to feeling sluggish and down.” “Sugar can exacerbate your feelings of anxiety because of the way our bodies respond to digesting them,” adds Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, owner of BZ Nutrition, a New York-based nutrition practice. “[Sugary foods] cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop faster than they would after eating non-high-sugar-foods. This quick spike and drop causes you to feel uneasy and can even at times mimic a panic attack.” Having low blood sugar levels can actually put the body into a stress response, which, as
A derm finally calls BS on that whole “bikini waxes get easier” thing
May 31, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC The other week, I decided it was time to get back into the habit of bikini waxing. I just feel better when my bikini area is trimmed back, and I was really fed up with having to shave. For some reason I am unable to master the technique of bikini line shaving (it’s not just me!), and I always end up with painful, itchy, red bumps wherever the razor has touched. I remembered that waxing was uncomfortable, but I had forgotten just how painful it can actually feel (read: worse than the pain of your favorite TV show making some very questionable narrative choices in the series finale). But, as with the aforementioned TV show, I persisted. As I was lying there, I kept repeating to myself: The more you do it, the less it hurts. I clung to that mantra during the darkest moments of my waxing appointment. Because, as you’ve probably heard, bikini waxes supposedly get less painful the more frequently you get them. This got me through the appointment, but is it actually true? Something about it…feels like a lie? Not a malicious one, but like one we tell ourselves so that we feel better about something. Like, I’m never going to drunk text my toxic ex ever again because I deleted him from my phone (even though I have his number memorized). So I set out to see if this was just a thing we tell ourselves to make
A derm finally calls BS on that whole “bikini waxes get easier” thing
May 31, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC The other week, I decided it was time to get back into the habit of bikini waxing. I just feel better when my bikini area is trimmed back, and I was really fed up with having to shave. For some reason I am unable to master the technique of bikini line shaving (it’s not just me!), and I always end up with painful, itchy, red bumps wherever the razor has touched. I remembered that waxing was uncomfortable, but I had forgotten just how painful it can actually feel (read: worse than the pain of your favorite TV show making some very questionable narrative choices in the series finale). But, as with the aforementioned TV show, I persisted. As I was lying there, I kept repeating to myself: The more you do it, the less it hurts. I clung to that mantra during the darkest moments of my waxing appointment. Because, as you’ve probably heard, bikini waxes supposedly get less painful the more frequently you get them. This got me through the appointment, but is it actually true? Something about it…feels like a lie? Not a malicious one, but like one we tell ourselves so that we feel better about something. Like, I’m never going to drunk text my toxic ex ever again because I deleted him from my phone (even though I have his number memorized). So I set out to see if this was just a thing we tell ourselves to make
5 foods rich in vitamin D that might help you sleep better
May 31, 2019 at 11:25AM by CWC Vitamin D is the multitasking nutrient that most of us aren’t getting enough of. Studies have shown that it holds the potential to improve performance in your workouts, reduce bloating, and lower the risk of certain cancers. Oh, and it might help you get better sleep. Vitamin D deficiency is linked with poor sleep, reports Psychology Today, especially in people who are older than 50. “There’s a growing body of research showing Vitamin D affects both how much sleep we get and how well we sleep,” writes Michael J. Breus, PhD, further detailing a 2018 study that also linked poor sleep to low vitamin D. Sleep expert and psychologist Shelby Harris, PsyD, notes that more research needs to be done with regard to sleep and that vitamin D is not yet part of any treatment to improve it. One of the best ways to get enough vitamin D is directly from the sun. “Getting enough light during the day is key in helping to set our circadian rhythms, aka sleep-wake timing,” she says. “If you’re not getting enough light during the day—and ideally natural light—then it can negatively impact your energy, ability to awaken and sleep at the same time naturally.” Fortunately now that the weather has warmed up, more people are spending time outside and getting a good amount of vitamin D from the sun. (Yes, you should still wear sunscreen every day.) Sleep expert Courtney Bancroft, PsyD, agrees with Dr. Harris
Why you won’t be eating Ben & Jerry’s CBD ice cream anytime soon
May 31, 2019 at 10:58AM by CWC Adding CBD to ice cream might just be the best idea since putting cookie dough chunks into plain old vanilla. At least, that’s the thinking behind Ben & Jerry’s newest (not-yet-named) flavor, which infuses the non-psychoactive, THC-free element of the cannabis plant into its legendary pints. The possibility of seeing the ingredient land in your local freezer aisle, however, is up for debate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now hearing the pleas of 120 cannabis companies vying for the ingredient to be legalized as both a dietary supplement and a food additive. The purpose of today’s FDA public hearing for cannabis-led businesses and advocates to “obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds,” reads an official statement from the agency. As The New York Times points out, the FDA has a tendency to overlook the inclusion of CBD in some edible products (CBD chocolate and gummy bears are both on the market). View this post on Instagram Trend alert! CBD-infused ice cream is (maybe, hopefully) coming to a freezer near you! Learn more at the link in our bio. A post shared by Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) on May 30, 2019 at 8:22am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Still, the FDA’s seal of approval means something to consumers searching for safe, government-endorsed products. The agency provides an air of legitimacy—one that members of the FDA aren’t yet willing to grant
Why you won’t be eating Ben & Jerry’s CBD ice cream anytime soon
May 31, 2019 at 10:58AM by CWC Adding CBD to ice cream might just be the best idea since putting cookie dough chunks into plain old vanilla. At least, that’s the thinking behind Ben & Jerry’s newest (not-yet-named) flavor, which infuses the non-psychoactive, THC-free element of the cannabis plant into its legendary pints. The possibility of seeing the ingredient land in your local freezer aisle, however, is up for debate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now hearing the pleas of 120 cannabis companies vying for the ingredient to be legalized as both a dietary supplement and a food additive. The purpose of today’s FDA public hearing for cannabis-led businesses and advocates to “obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds,” reads an official statement from the agency. As The New York Times points out, the FDA has a tendency to overlook the inclusion of CBD in some edible products (CBD chocolate and gummy bears are both on the market). View this post on Instagram Trend alert! CBD-infused ice cream is (maybe, hopefully) coming to a freezer near you! Learn more at the link in our bio. A post shared by Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) on May 30, 2019 at 8:22am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Still, the FDA’s seal of approval means something to consumers searching for safe, government-endorsed products. The agency provides an air of legitimacy—one that members of the FDA aren’t yet willing to grant
This eating plan could help you beat the bloat—seriously
May 31, 2019 at 09:30AM by CWC A bout of bloating can be a total confidence killer—especially if it’s coupled with IBS, which affects one in five Americans. That’s pretty pervasive for something we pretty much never talk about. (Squatty Potty habits aside.) “Most people are suffering in silence because it isn’t really something you discuss at a cocktail party,” explains Kate Scarlata, RDN. As a remedy, many try cutting out dairy. Others try gluten. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, she says. What gives? It turns out, often the cause of gastric distress lies in short-chain carbohydrates, also called high FODMAP foods. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. (See why it’s an acronym?) If you’ve never heard about it, you’re not alone—FODMAPs only recently landed on the radar of healthy Americans. But if you suffer from regular bloating, IBS, or other can’t-get-to-the-bottom-of-it health issue, a low FODMAP diet could totally change your life. Scroll down for everything you need to know about the FODMAP Diet. Photo: Pexels/Unsplash WTF are FODMAPs? Even though this whole FODMAP concept is just starting to buzz here in America, it’s been super influential in Australia since 2005, when a research group at Melbourne’s Monash University figured out that food with short-chain carbs are poorly absorbed, which leads to (drumroll) bloating. “They pull water inside the small intestine and are fermented by gut bacteria, the combination of which creates this bloating sensation,” says Scarlata, who is a FODMAPs expert. “People who have IBS
This eating plan could help you beat the bloat—seriously
May 31, 2019 at 09:30AM by CWC A bout of bloating can be a total confidence killer—especially if it’s coupled with IBS, which affects one in five Americans. That’s pretty pervasive for something we pretty much never talk about. (Squatty Potty habits aside.) “Most people are suffering in silence because it isn’t really something you discuss at a cocktail party,” explains Kate Scarlata, RDN. As a remedy, many try cutting out dairy. Others try gluten. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, she says. What gives? It turns out, often the cause of gastric distress lies in short-chain carbohydrates, also called high FODMAP foods. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. (See why it’s an acronym?) If you’ve never heard about it, you’re not alone—FODMAPs only recently landed on the radar of healthy Americans. But if you suffer from regular bloating, IBS, or other can’t-get-to-the-bottom-of-it health issue, a low FODMAP diet could totally change your life. Scroll down for everything you need to know about the FODMAP Diet. Photo: Pexels/Unsplash WTF are FODMAPs? Even though this whole FODMAP concept is just starting to buzz here in America, it’s been super influential in Australia since 2005, when a research group at Melbourne’s Monash University figured out that food with short-chain carbs are poorly absorbed, which leads to (drumroll) bloating. “They pull water inside the small intestine and are fermented by gut bacteria, the combination of which creates this bloating sensation,” says Scarlata, who is a FODMAPs expert. “People who have IBS
Can’t do a full push-up? This *magic* (no, really) hack will help
May 31, 2019 at 10:10AM by CWC Even though I can lift moderately heavy weights and carry loads of stuff (sup, gym bag), I’ve resigned myself to not being able to do full-on push-ups. Every time an instructor tells me to drop down and give them 20, I immediately drop to my knees and knock out some of the modified version—which is still challenging, BTW. But then I went to Pilates and learned a much appreciated hack for doing regular push-ups, which lets even those of us who are always modifying to do the full move like pros. The secret? Using a Pilates ring. “By placing the Pilates ring vertically underneath your chest, it offers support to maintain a strong plank position in your push-up,” says Pilates instructor Hannah McMullen. “It’ll keep your core engaged and your alignment in check, rather than letting weight dump into your lower back or your shoulders. If you’re used to doing modified push-ups with your knees down, you’ll surprise yourself with how much stronger you feel with the ring and your ability to support your body weight and stay in the full plank position.” She’s right—when I tried out the move, I was shocked by how much easier doing full push-ups felt with the magic ring, and was able to do way more than I could do on my knees. It will also give you plenty of leverage, which majorly helps with strength building, too. “The ring offers resistance,” says McMullen. “On the way down,