February 06, 2020 at 06:37PM by CWC At 91-years-young, Lloyd Black—a retired teacher in Semmes, Alabama—just became Member of the Month at his local Anytime Fitness. After gym manager Ashley Seaman congratulated Black in a Facebook post, his thrice-weekly exercise habit went viral—and frankly, have you ever been more inspired to make time in your schedule to sweat? “I had reached the point where simple chores, like yard work, I could no longer do and therefore I started [going to the gym] and it has really helped,” Black told Good Morning America. “I am also motivated by my daddy. He was a man who never gave up and so I hope I’ve inherited some of his traits.” It’s fair to say that Black takes after his father: he’s been spotted kicking it into high gear on the treadmill, taking on the leg press machine, and yet more upper body devices. And to make matters even more impressive, Black performs his entire routine in overalls and Sketchers. Because, really, who needs all that fancy-schmancy gear, anyway? “I don’t feel very comfortable being in the limelight, but if it encourages someone else then I’m willing to do it,” Black said. He’s definitely encouraged those of all ages to get moving, but his message may prove especially important when it comes to exercise for older adults According to Harvard Health, studies have shown that strength, stamina, and flexibility decrease in adults over the age of 55 as a direct result of aging. To combat
Category: Beauty
The calorie is out, and qualitative eating is in. Finally.
February 06, 2020 at 04:25PM by CWC You’ve heard the old adage: “calories in, calories out.” It’s the concept that a person can manage their weight by simply burning more calories through exercise than they consume in food—and it was one of the guiding forces in nutrition for the past twenty years. (Hell, a Reddit community named after and dedicated to the concept has over 24 million members.) For decades, people were fixated on calorie counts as a primary consideration for what they put on their plates. But we’re happy to report that this narrow mindset is something we’re firmly leaving behind in the new decade. “In recent years, there’s a recognition that not all calories are created equal,” says health coach and nutritionist Jess Cording, RD. “There’s a shift from just calories to factoring in satiety, blood sugar, and other factors that go into weight management [and healthy eating].” In 2020 and beyond, the emphasis will be on the full nutritional profile of your plate and how these foods support your brain, energy, gut health, and mood. A history of calorie counting While calories are also used in chemistry and physics, in nutrition, calories generally refer to the amount of energy that foods provide us. The concept of the calorie hit the mainstream in the U.S. in the 1920s with the publication of Diet and Health by Lulu Hunt Peters. The book, which praised the merits of calorie counting for weight management, went on to become the number-four nonfiction book
I’m the biggest podcast fan I know, but the constant information in my ears stresses me out
February 06, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC I scheduled my podcast listening like I schedule my workouts: Book Riot on Monday, J Train on Tuesday, U Up? on Wednesday, That’s So Retrograde on Thursday. And so on, and so forth. The charismatic hosts of these shows stuck with me during my morning commute, while I sweat on the treadmill, and throughout any other pockets of free ear-space time I could find. Until I noticed a distinct change: As I offered my eardrums to more and more of Spotify’s lengthy list of titles ranging from comedy and horror to wellness, I realized that listening to podcasts all day turned them into something that harms, not helps, my mental health. It turns out that your brain can absolutely be overstimulated as a result of merely listening. “The constant listening of podcasts and music can definitely be problematic, as it can be a barrier to our ability to be fully present and focus on what is going on in the moment,” says therapist Michele Burstein, LCSW. “We definitely tend to pride ourselves on being multitaskers; however, if we are always doing so many things at once, it is nearly impossible to show up a hundred percent for anything.” It does make sense, then, that when you’re not giving the thoughts in your head the air time they demand, they can to pile up like paperwork that needs to be sorted. And when you put your head to your pillow after a long day or have a
The 3-step facial formula that will stop breakouts in their tracks
February 06, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC If there’s one question that my friends ask me, their beauty editor BFF, about the most often, it’s “What type of facial should I get for my breakout?” I get it—when you’re faced with acne, it’s tempting to put your skin in the hands of an esthetician for professional-level help. But, if you’re mid-breakout, not all facial treatments are going to help—so you’re going to want to be sure you’re finding the right one. “Facials will extract dirt, impurities, dead skin, and product build-up, leaving the skin radiant and visibly clearer after one treatment,” says Vanessa Marc, a New York-based celebrity facialist. The one that best fits the bill for quashing acne? A triple-threat formula that features a chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and light therapy. “We highly recommend doing a medical grade chemical peel,” says Marc, who explains that these types of treatments kill acne-causing bacteria to help prevent future breakouts. San Fransico-based facialist and founder of Spa Radiance, Angelina Umansky, echoes this sentiment, saying that she “loves doing peels when a client is breaking out.” She’s a particular fan of using salicylic acid for the job because it “kills bacteria much better,” she says. Next comes microdermabrasion, which acts as a light physical exfoliant. “Microdermabrasion helps to get the chemical peel in a little deeper and helps with blackhead removal,” says Umansky. However, she warns that if it isn’t done correctly it can potentially backfire and spread acne, so you’ll want to make
I’m a dermatologist, and this French drugstore find is my favorite fix for dry hands
February 05, 2020 at 10:43PM by CWC There are two types people who I trust wholeheartedly to give skin-care advice: dermatologists and French women. So when New York-based board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idris, MD (known on social media as “The Pillowtalk Derm” thanks to the A+ skin-care advice she delivers from her bed every evening) combined the two when and shared her haul of French drugstore products to her Instagram story, you better believe I whipped out a notebook. Most of her picks—like the Bioderma Micellar Water ($15), which all of our editors swear by, and La Roche Posay Spray Sunscreen ($36)—came as no surprise, since they are cult-favorites in the Parisian beauty category. But there was one item in her cart that I had never heard of before: Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream, ($20). The cream happens to be a French drugstore staple, but is also (thankfully) readily available on Amazon. It’s packed with all kinds of nourishing, good-for-your-hands properties, like sunflower seed oil, which acts as an emollient to seal in moisture beneath the surface of your skin, vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that protects skin from the environment, and honey, which is known for its healing antibacterial properties. Dr. Idriss likes to put it on after manicures to help with broken skin or sensitive cuticles, but it’s also good for giving your hands a boost whenever they’re feeling extra-dry or cracked. Much like your face, your hands deserve a skin-care routine of their own
Climate change is making it harder for Olympic athletes to train—Nike wants clear the air
February 05, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Put yourself in the sneakers of an athlete who’s spent the majority of their life dreaming, training, and spending every waking hour living for the chance to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Now, imagine there’s a very real, looming adversary standing between you gold—beyond those with the same hopes of winning it. It’s happening as we speak: Climate change is affecting how athletes prepare for their given sports, and it’s posing a threat to performance. The number of days above 90°F has increased by nearly 25 percent since the 1980s, and the change in weather has forced some United States states to adopt rules around when the temperature necessitates postponing or cancelling practice altogether to keep athletes safe. Nike reports that the current rate of climate change could decrease the time athletes spend on the field by up to two months in southernmost states by 2050. And meanwhile, viable snow days for snowboarders could decrease by 11 to 22 percent within the same timespan. The escalating temperatures are so top of mind, in fact, that the 2020 Olympic marathon site has been moved from Tokyo to Sapporo (a city 500 miles north) due to heat concerns. It’s enough that Nike, as a brand that outfits athletes from all over the world, is looking to address in the concerns of sustainability while also offering performance-forward gear that allows athletes to succeed and continue to break records in more grueling climates. “At the
Take a note from ‘Cheer’ and use structure to win the Grand National Championship of your own life
February 05, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC The six-part Netflix documentary Cheer follows the Navarro College cheer team along its journey to compete for the annual Grand National Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida. To lead her team, coach Monica Aldama leans heavily on principles of fierce, structural rigidity. No spoilers here about whether her tactics—which often land her squad members in the hospital—end up working (but, frankly, her championship-winning record can speak for itself). Aldama’s regimen of blood-sweat-and-tears-level intensity begs the question, though, of whether structure can also answer the question of how to plan success in your own life, landing you on top of your proverbial pyramid. Or, is it more likely that an unwavering relationship with structure becomes a hindrance that sends you tumbling backward, with no spotters (or stunters) in sight? First, know that structure is a necessity for living a fulfilling, healthy life. “Structure is fundamental to physical and mental well-being in humans,” says life coach and physician Anna Stratis, MD. In her work as a physician, Dr. Stratis career focuses on helping people create healthy habits that eventually form their backbone for living well. For example, something as simple as knowing that a daily bowl of oatmeal keeps you full until lunchtime can make you feel more productive and happy overall. Structure is fundamental to physical and mental well-being in humans.” —Anna Stratis, MD But regardless of how heavily or lightly you lean on structure to design your life, coping skills are crucial for being
I ditched melatonin for $55 personalized sleep supplements to optimize my zzz’s
February 05, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC Melatonin supplements have had a constant home on my nightstand since I was 12 years old—so I guess you could say that sleep and I have had quite the rocky relationship over the years. And, in that regard, I’m hardly alone: When Well+Good surveyed 1,500 readers last year about their sleep habits and woes, 92 percent reported feeling fatigued more than once a week, and 53 percent said they use melatonin to remedy their tossing and turning. But in the age of personalized…everything, I decided to try a new regimen in the hopes of it helping me clock precious hours of sleep with ease. And that’s how I came to know Remrise. To be clear, when I say “personalized,” I mean that the company’s formulas are far more complex than the difference between taking, say, 3 milligrams and 10 milligrams (which is what happens when I’m deciding between different bottles of melatonin at the drugstore). Rather, Remrise asks its customers to take a quick quiz that places them in one of five different categories, or sleep profiles: “Chilled Out,” “Rise & Shine,” “Peace of Mind,” “At Ease,” and “Power Off.” Each profile is connected to a different plant-based formula, all of which are “inspired by centuries of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which recognizes that each person experiences unique sleep issues and requires a unique resolution,” says Remrise founder and CEO Veronika Lee. “We developed our sleep profiles based on the most common issues
It’s time to rebrand ‘foreplay,’ which currently delegitimizes sex for many
February 05, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC It’s unfortunate that so many people regard foreplay as if it were a flight layover—that is, the place you stop by really quickly on the way to your final destination. But, since many of us understand foreplay to be the opening act for penetrative sex, the mind-set isn’t surprising. After all, the word foreplay literally means “before play.” The problem? That understanding of the term suggests that only vaginally or anally penetrative acts constitute sex, says sex educator and sex-positivity advocate Lateef Taylor. And that’s simply not the case. “The word ‘foreplay’ is a bogus term that reinforces a penis-centric, heteronormative, cis-centric, exclusionary, and ableist understanding of what sex is,” they say, adding that the currently understood meaning of foreplay creates a hierarchy in which all other types of pleasure rank below these two forms of sex. “It delegitimizes sex acts that aren’t insertive.” Sexologist Carol Queen, PhD, also takes issue with the term because it validates rushing through certain acts with high pleasure potential to get to a designated main event. This pattern can result in people not understanding that many of these acts can be essential to arousal. In fact, rushing through or skipping foreplay acts altogether and then jumping into insertive sex can result in less pleasure or even downright pain. “Reinventing the term and ridding it of its ‘lesser-than’ connotation could help close the orgasm gap.” —sexologist Carol Queen, PhD That’s why, in the name of inclusivity and increased
The high-tech, do-it-all device that de-puffs skin in 7 minutes flat
February 05, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC Using quality, dermatologist-recommended active ingredients in your beauty routine is a pretty clear-cut way to improve your skin. Lesser used and talked about, however, are tools that can take the results from serums and moisturizers up a notch. Electrical stimulation is becoming a more-and-more talked about way to do just that, and one brand in particular—ZIIP Ox ($480)—is out in front, putting high-tech tools, usually reserved for the derms’ office in the hands of us all. ZIIP uses both microcurrent and nanocurrent waves to stimulate your skin’s collagen and elastin. There are a total of nine treatments programmed on the device that do everything from target pigment to kill bacteria- causing breakouts to de-puff under eye bags. The latest treatment (which takes only seven minutes start-to-finish) is called “lymph and lift” is meant to promote lymphatic drainage and give you that post-facial glow. The device is able to do this through microcurrents, which help your skin to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a repairing compound your body naturally creates but diminishes as you age. Simultaneously, nanocurrent sends teeny, tiny waves that also help repair collagen and elastin, and also stimulate circulation. As this happens, the lymph fluid that has built up in your face is broken up and ushered away. “Lymphatic drainage is skin 101,” says Melanie Simon, creator and co-founder of ZIIP. “It’s something that’s very much a part of most skin-care treatments when you go to a spa.” This happens because the